ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Arable Farming: Research

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote research and development in applied arable research in (a) the UK and (b) in collaboration with other EU member states.

James Paice: The UK Cross-Government Food Research and Innovation Strategy sets out the Government's plans for improving the contribution of science and innovation to tackling the challenges facing global food production and ensure translation of science to practical use. Industry, Government, academia and other public funders are working together to implement the strategy through the Food Research Partnership.
	The Global Food Security programme and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) led Sustainable Agri-Food Innovation Platform (SAF IP) are two initiatives providing a line of sight between research and end use. DEFRA is contributing £30 million of funding to the SAF IP, which is providing a total of up to £90 million for collaborative research with industry.
	At the European level, DEFRA supports agricultural research collaboratively with other member states through the Framework programme (FP7) and the Joint programme initiative and is providing funding for a number of ERAnet projects relevant to agricultural production.
	More specifically, DEFRA funds strategic applied research in on crop genetic improvement, crop protection and biodiversity to develop sustainable integrated approaches and underpin private sector investment and translational research.

Eggs: Imports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will outline her Department's policy in relation to the importation of eggs produced from illegal battery farms.

James Paice: My written statement of 6 December 2011, Official Report, column 16WS, sets out the UK's enforcement strategy in relation to the importation of eggs from other member states.

Forests

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what area of forest on the public forest estate managed by the Forestry Commission England is clearfelled each year;
	(2)  what species of trees were replanted by Forestry Commission England on felled areas on the public forest estate in the latest year for which figures are available.

James Paice: Information on the area of land that is clearfelled each year is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table lists the area of each species planted on the public forest estate during the 2010-11 planting season:
	
		
			 Species Area (hectares) 
			 Scots pine 103.5 
			 Douglas fir 101.0 
			 Birch (downy/silver) 5.6 
			 Sweet chestnut 5.7 
			 Oak (robur/petraea) 21.9 
			 Pedunculate/common oak 0.3 
			 Ash 5.7 
			 Norway spruce 41.8 
			 Hornbeam 0.2 
			 Norway maple 5.0 
			 Western hemlock 0.4 
			 European larch 2.4 
			 Sitka spruce 808.7 
			 Mixed broadleaves 113.3 
			 Hazel 4.0 
			 Maritime pine 9.1 
			 Common alder 0.8 
			 Other eucalyptus 0.3 
			 Wild cherry/gean 3.4 
			 Mixed conifers 36.8 
			 Alder 0.9 
			 Noble fir 2.3 
			 Beech 3.7 
			 Sycamore 4.0 
			 Italian alder 3.1 
			 Hybrid larch 23.9 
			 Sessile oak 4.1 
			 Western red cedar 6.1 
			 Other conifers 1.4 
			 Grand fir 1.8 
		
	
	The entire public forest estate has been independently certified for sustainable forest management, which means that the clearfelling and restocking practices have been independently audited.

Gangmasters Licensing Authority

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to make an announcement on the future of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

James Paice: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 5 March 2012, Official Report, column 509W, which confirmed that the Red Tape Challenge Ministerial Star Chamber process has endorsed the need for the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to enforce protections for vulnerable workers, subject to reducing burdens on the compliant. We will make further announcements on this in due course.

Livestock: Production

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of trends in levels of livestock production in each of the last five years.

James Paice: The following tables show the value and volume of UK livestock production between 2006 and 2010. These are the latest years for which figures are available, and the data are sourced from the Agriculture in the UK publication produced by DEFRA:
	
		
			 Value of production (£ million) 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Percentage  change 2006 to 2010 
			 Beef and veal 1593 1668 2095 2130 2221 +39 
			 Pigmeat 678 733 867 972 981 +45 
			 Mutton and Lamb 712 638 823 976 979 +38 
			 Poultrymeat 1233 1249 1578 1590 1799 +46 
			 Eggs 362 410 520 531 561 +55 
			 Milk 2497 2823 3447 3124 3325 +33 
		
	
	
		
			 Volume of production (thousand tonnes unless otherwise stated) 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Percentage change 2006 to 2010 
			 Beef and veal 852 888 866 823 898 +5 
			 Pigmeat 667 707 706 681 712 +7 
			 Mutton and Lamb 334 329 332 313 287 -14 
			 Poultrymeat 1511 1464 1462 1457 1573 +4 
			 Eggs (million dozen) 852 831 867 869 950 +11 
			 Milk (million litres) 13711 13442 13145 13004 13331 -3 
		
	
	The percentage increase in the value of production is greater than that for volume of production as a result of increased prices in livestock commodities over the period.

Schmallenberg Virus

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the potential threat of the Schmallenberg virus to cattle and sheep; and what steps her Department is taking to prevent the spread of the virus amongst livestock.

James Paice: The reports of farms affected with Schmallenberg virus in England are an indication of the geographic spread of infection which took place during the summer and autumn of 2011. All the counties where disease has been reported are within the at-risk regions for midge incursion from continental Europe.
	We will therefore continue to monitor cases across the UK and test for suspect disease so we can determine what the spread of disease was during that time.
	The disease is not notifiable and as such, movement restrictions are not being applied to affected premises.
	DEFRA is funding research into finding out more about this virus that will help in understanding how best it can be managed.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of food procured by his Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources.

John Penrose: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 31W.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and if he will estimate the potential savings in each case.

John Penrose: Between 1 June 2011 and 21 January 2012, the Department has repealed:
	(i) A number of provisions of the Communications Act 2003, the Media Ownership (Local Radio and Appointed News Provider) Order 2003, and the Communications (Isle of Man) Order 2003, to deregulate the provisions which govern the ownership of local newspapers, radio and television licences. An impact assessment was conducted, which stated that it is difficult to quantify the monetised benefits of deregulation in this case. Further information can be found at:
	http://www.ialibrary.bis.gov.uk/uploaded/Annex%20B% 20Cross%20Media%20Ownership%20Impact%20Assessment% 20Final%2016%20Nov%2010.pdf
	(ii) A provision requiring notice to be served in relation to transport and other works under the Transport and Works (Applications and Objections Procedure) (England and Wales) Rules 2006, which is expected to have marginal savings.
	In addition to these repeals, we are introducing deregulatory measures which will benefit business and create savings, including the Adjustment to Gambling Operating Fees, Amendments to Schedule 6 of the Gambling Act and Gambling Act 2005: Category B3 Gaming Machine. The overall savings from these measures stands at around £9 million.
	Also, the Department has played a central role in the Red Tape Challenge, leading the Hospitality Food and Drink theme in partnership with other Departments. We will cut red tape in 62 of the 102 regulations which were looked at as part of this theme; 12 will be abolished, with a further 50 to be merged or simplified. Further information can be found at:
	http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/themehome/hospitality-food-and-drink/

TRANSPORT

Aviation

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many scheduled passenger air routes between Scotland and (a) Brazil, (b) China, (c) India, (d) Japan, (e) Russia and (f) Singapore have been established and operated as a consequence of UK Government (i) bilateral international agreements, (ii) amendments, (iii) memoranda of understandings and (iv) records of discussions since 1982 by year;
	(2)  how many scheduled passenger air routes between London and (a) Brazil, (b) China, (c) India, (d) Japan, (e) Russia and (f) Singapore have been established and operated as a consequence of UK Government (i) bilateral international agreements, (ii) amendments, (iii) memoranda of understanding and (iv) records of discussions since 1982 by year;
	(3)  how many slots per week were agreed between the UK Government and the Russian Federation government for passenger air services between (a) London, (b) Manchester, (c) Liverpool, (d) Birmingham, (e) Edinburgh, (f) Glasgow, (g) Prestwick and (h) Aberdeen and the Russian Federation in the latest period for which figures are available.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The United Kingdom's bilateral air services arrangements do not prescribe the establishment or operation of routes and services, but rather set out the legal and regulatory framework under which services may be operated by the airlines of both sides.
	The Government's overall objective for the UK's air services negotiations is to seek to put in place liberal arrangements that reciprocally remove restrictions on market access, maximising competition between airlines, and allowing airlines to operate services based on their own commercial decisions and assessment of market demand.
	However, this is not always possible to achieve in the context of a bilateral negotiation, and limitations do still remain in some of the UK's air service arrangements on the number of services that can be operated and, in some cases, on the routeings that may be operated.
	The details of the air services arrangements between the UK and the six countries referred to are as follows:
	(a) Brazil—no restriction on UK-Brazil routes since 2006 with a current limit of 35 passenger services per week between the two countries by the airlines of each side allowed;
	(b) China—restricted to six points in the UK and six points in China since 2004 with a current limit of 31 passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed;
	(c) India—no restriction on UK-India routes since 2005 with a current limit of 56 passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed on UK-Delhi and UK-Mumbai services, 14 passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed on UK-Chennai and UK-Bangalore services, and seven passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed on services between any other city pair;
	(d) Japan—no restriction on UK-Japan routes since 2008 with no restriction on the number of services per week allowed since 2012 other than to/from Tokyo, where there is a current limit of 28 passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed to/from Narita airport and seven passenger services per week by the airlines of each side allowed to/from Haneda airport during the nighttime/early morning period;
	(e) Russia—UK-Russia routes are restricted to eight points in Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk and two other points to be named by the UK) for UK airlines from any UK point, and six points in the UK (London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and two other points to be named by Russia) for Russian airlines from any Russian point.
	In addition there are limits on the number of passenger services per week allowed between specified city pairs. The current limits for the airlines of each side are 35 passenger services per week allowed on London-Moscow, seven passenger services per week allowed on London-St Petersburg, and seven passenger services per week allowed on services between any other allowed city pair;
	(f) Singapore—no restriction on UK-Singapore routes since 2005 with no restriction on the number of passenger services per week allowed.
	Information on the number of passengers travelling between airports in the UK and the six countries referred to is available from the Civil Aviation (CAA) website (see Airport Statistics, Table 12.1, at:
	www.caa.co.uk/airportstatistics
	Information on the number of scheduled air services actually operated between airports in the UK and the six countries referred to is not collected centrally but data on services since 1990 are available from the CAA and I have arranged for it to be placed in the House Library.
	Finally, in considering the strategy to be adopted at air services negotiations the Department for Transport routinely consults a range of stakeholders, including interested EU airlines, airport operators and the devolved Administrations, including Transport Scotland.

Departmental Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what proportion of the total value of contracts issued or to be issued by her Department in 2011-12 have required successful organisations to put up a capital bond; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  which contracts her Department has tendered or will tender in 2011-12 which require successful organisations to have a capital bond of more than £5 million; which contracts have not required such a bond; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: In 2011-12 the Department tendered 77 contracts valued at £618.2 million. Of these, one contract, valued at £417.8 million (67.6% by total value) required the successful organisation to put up a capital bond. The bond was more than £5 million and the details of this are given in the following table. A table showing all other contracts awarded since 1 April 2011 requiring no capital bond has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	
		
			 Contract—Greater Anglia (rail franchise) February 2012 to July 2014 
			  £ million 
			 Supplier/Contractor Abellio:  
			 Value (1)417.8 
			 Capital performance value 10 
			 (1) Value of the premium to be paid.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  with reference to her Department's publication 2012 Economic Case for HS2 for what reason the projected London to Liverpool high speed rail journey times have increased compared to her 2011 consultation on high speed rail;
	(2)  for what reason she has altered the service specification assumptions for the high speed rail network in her January 2012 revision to the Economic Case for HS2; and why this has resulted in (a) reduced high speed services (i) between Preston and London and (ii) between York and Darlington and (b) the removal of HS2 services to Warrington and Wigan.

Justine Greening: Indicative service specifications for the HS2 network have been prepared by HS2 Ltd for the purpose of understanding the potential benefits of HS2, for inclusion in the economic case for the project. As the document made clear, these specifications are purely illustrative. Final decisions on service specifications will be taken considerably nearer the opening of the network by a network operator based upon the latest patterns of demand and in consultation with the towns and cities served.
	I anticipate that HS2 will generate significant journey time savings not only for the key cities already identified on the network but also a range of other destinations through classic compatible running and other means. HS2 will bring great benefits to the regions served and I look forward to working with them to ensure that all the possible benefits are maximised.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's publication 2012 Economic Case for HS2 whether, in order to provide two services per hour between London and Newcastle on the proposed high speed rail network, she considered alternatives to assigning £1 billion to special 260 metre trainsets for Newcastle.

Justine Greening: HS2 Ltd undertook an investigation of whether it would be practical to operate the standard GC gauge continental trains right through to Newcastle, through gauge clearance works on this section of the East Coast Main Line. The conclusion—as published in the “Review of Technical Specification of High Speed Rail in the UK”—was that the cost of upgrading the route to GC gauge would be between £3.5 billion and £4 billion, comparable to the cost of building an entirely new high speed railway between York and Newcastle.
	The additional rolling stock costs included in the most recent economic case reflect the fact that more rolling stock will be required to run the enhanced level of services proposed in the service specification. The planned 260 metre train sets would enable higher capacity services to serve destinations off the HS2 network, bringing significant benefits to passengers. The assumed cost of these 260 metre trains is pro-rata to the mechanically similar 200 metre "classic compatible" trains.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's publications Economic Case for HS2 published in 2011 and Economic Case for HS2 published in January 2012, for what reason the projected cost of operating and maintaining the HS2 network over the 60 year appraisal period has increased by £5.9 billion.

Justine Greening: The reasons are set out at section 4.5 of the “Economic Case for HS2: Updated Appraisal of Transport User Benefits and Wider Economic Benefits”, available at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/hs2-economic-case-appraisal-update/

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's publication January 2012 Economic Case for HS2, what steps she plans to take to achieve the £5.1 billion of operating savings on the existing rail network.

Justine Greening: This figure represents the net cost savings from the reconfiguration of intercity services operating on the existing network and increases in other services utilising the capacity released on the existing network as a result of HS2. Separately, the Government are implementing a range of measures to make the railways financially sustainable in the long term. These plans are outlined in the Command Paper, “Reforming Our Railways”, published on 9 March 2012.

Motorways: Closures

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the M3 was closed on 28 February 2012; what steps she is taking to reduce the number of motorway closures; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The M3 was closed between Junction 2 and 3 on 28 February due to a fatal collision, to which the response was police led.
	We are taking a number of steps to reduce the impact and number of motorway closures under the CLEAR initiative which includes:
	Working with the police to produce training material to reduce collision investigation times and allow lanes for traffic flow to be released sooner.
	In turn, the police are revising their Road Death Investigation Manual to give the re-opening of lanes and roads a higher priority.
	The Highways Agency is also working closely with VOSA to reduce the number of HGV incidents which result in longer duration closures and can have a significant impact on the motorway network.

Railways: Greater London

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work her Department has done on transferring responsibility for additional rail services in London to Transport for London.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The Department is currently considering the proposals made by Transport for London regarding London rail services. This consideration will take place alongside our assessment of responses to the consultation on the decentralisation of rail services that we have recently published.

Railways: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received on the forthcoming decision on the Radlett Rail Freight site from (a) local residents, (b) Helioslough, (c) First Capital Connect and (d) St Albans City and District Council.

Theresa Villiers: None. This is a planning matter for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles).

Railways: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) meetings and (b) discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the forthcoming decision on the Radlett Rail Freight site.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has not had any meetings with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), about the forthcoming decision on the Radlett Rail Freight site.

Railways: Information Services

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which holders of (a) passenger train and (b) train station licences have not met the Office of Rail Regulation's 1 March 2012 deadline to modify the provision of passenger information during disruptions.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has informed us that all the holders of the passenger licences and the station licences have accepted the modifications and ORR has made the modifications to the licences.

West Coast Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the conclusion of Network Rail and Passenger Focus's report entitled Future priorities for the West Coast Main Line that congestion is projected on the West Coast Main Line at Colwich Junction between 2026 and 2033 created by new high speed rail trains and freight services; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce any such congestion.

Justine Greening: The report published by Network Rail and Passenger Focus makes clear that the opening of the first phase of HS2 will present valuable opportunities for passenger and freight improvements on the West Coast Main Line, and shows there are a number of potential options for managing the allocation of capacity between passenger and freight services at Colwich Junction. HS2 Ltd is working with Network Rail on a number of interface issues between HS2 and the existing network, including options for making the best use of capacity on the West Coast Main Line to the north of the HS2 junction at Lichfield.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Fire Services: Finance

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take into account in future formula settlements the contribution of Metropolitan fire and rescue authorities to the maintenance of national resilience capacity and support for neighbouring fire and rescue services.

Bob Neill: Support for neighbouring fire and rescue authorities is a statutory duty and a mutually beneficial process. National resilience capability is funded through a specific grant; neither national resilience nor mutual support is affected by formula settlements.

Homelessness

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the (a) size and (b) condition of the homeless population.

Grant Shapps: Homelessness charities regularly publish research and information on the potential size and causes of homelessness. Ministers from this Department regularly meet with key partners in the voluntary sector to discuss homelessness issues.
	This Government are committed to tackling homelessness. We have acted decisively to introduce a more accurate assessment of rough sleeping levels so that there is clear information in all areas, to inform service provision and action to address the problem. The previous Government's approach to assessing rough sleeping did not capture the full extent of the problem across the country.
	We have maintained funding for Homelessness Grant at 2010-11 levels with £400 million over the next four years. In addition, Supporting People investment at £6.5 billion over the same period will protect the preventative services that help the most vulnerable live independently and retain their tenancies.
	On top of that the Government have announced an additional £70 million investment this year:
	£20 million—Homelessness Transition Fund to support the roll-out of No Second Night Out and protect vital front line services.
	£20 million—Preventing Repossessions Fund to enable local authorities to intervene earlier and help people stay in their homes.
	£20 million—Single Homelessness Prevention Fund to help ensure single homeless people get access to good housing advice.
	£5 million boost to the Homelessness Change Programme (bringing the total investment to £42.5 million) to deliver improved hostel provision and provide over 1,500 new and improved bed spaces.
	£5 million—Social Impact Bond—using a payment by results model to help persistent rough sleepers in London. This is the first Social Impact Bond set up to tackle homelessness in the world.

Housing

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have been admitted to hospital as a result of category 1 and category 2 hazards in housing, in each of the last five years.

Andrew Stunell: This information is not held centrally.

Landlords: Private Rented Housing

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to encourage best practice amongst landlords in the private rented sector.

Grant Shapps: In August 2011, a package of guidance for both landlords and tenants was placed on my Department's website. The guidance covered the rights and responsibilities for tenants and landlords in the private rented sector and included advice on best practice. We also encourage local authorities and the sector itself to embrace best practice through accreditation schemes and industry-led initiatives such as SAFEAgent—a consumer facing campaign to highlight the important of client money protection.

Local Government: Procurement

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will make an assessment of the use of PAS91 by individual local authorities in England; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Information on the use of PAS91 is not collected centrally by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Parish Councils: Bureaucracy

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the proportion of taxpayers' money spent by Bayston Hill parish council on administration; and if he will assess the extent to which best practice is being followed.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the expenditure of individual parishes, and so cannot provide the assessment requested.

Social Rented Housing: West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the level of social rented housing provision in the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Figures on dwelling stock in English districts for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 are available in live table 100, which is published on the Department for Communities and Local government's website at the following link. This gives a breakdown of dwelling stock by tenure including local authority, housing association and other public sector dwellings.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/

Urban Areas: Coastal Areas

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on long-term regeneration of seaside towns.

Grant Shapps: My Department recognises that coastal and seaside towns face many economic and social challenges and works across Government to support efforts to promote their economic regeneration and strengthen their appeal as places to live, work and visit.
	In partnership with relevant Government Departments, the devolved Administrations and Big Lottery Fund, it has led work to design and develop the new UK-wide Coastal Communities Fund launched last month. The fund will provide funding on a bid basis for projects which support the economic development of coastal communities by promoting growth and jobs. It is a rolling programme with annual bidding rounds, reflecting our commitment to help coastal communities build stronger and more diverse local economies now and in the future.
	The Coastal Communities Fund is one of a number of funding schemes supported by the Government which may potentially assist regeneration in seaside towns, including the European Regional Development Fund and the Regional Growth Fund. My Department has also published a regeneration toolkit to accompany the Government's response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee report on regeneration, which has been deposited in the Library of the House.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Indian Ocean Territory

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has responded to any requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration.

Henry Bellingham: We have responded to 35 Freedom of Information requests since 2005 on the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Central Africa

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department has given to the authorities in Central African states to assist with the arrest of Joseph Kony.

Henry Bellingham: Britain is an active member of the International Working Group on the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and has the lead in the UN Security Council on LRA matters. We have used these positions to urge the UN missions in the region to co-ordinate better the international response to the LRA. This includes the production of a regional UN LRA strategy and the closer coordination of UN and African Union (AU) efforts. This has promoted dialogue amongst Central African states and their international partners on the best way to tackle the LRA, protect populations affected by their actions and bring Kony to justice.
	The British Government support the recent efforts made by the AU to co-ordinate regional military efforts against the LRA, and the appointment of an AU Special Envoy on the LRA. The EU, with British contributions and support, has made a package of support available to the AU to help establish the Special Envoy's office and the co-ordination support it requires.
	We have made significant contributions to UN programmes to disarm and demobilise LRA combatants and reintegrate them into their home communities. These programmes have helped to remove a steady stream of LRA combatants from the conflict.

Embassies: Expenditure

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which 15 nations the Government spent the most on maintaining diplomatic missions in the latest period for which figures are available; to how many missions that sum applied in each such country; what his most recent estimate is of the number of British nationals (a) living permanently in each country and (b) who visit each country each year; and what the monetary value was of UK trade with each such country.

David Lidington: The 15 nations the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent the most on maintaining diplomatic missions with during 2010-11 (in cost order) are:
	
		
			 Country Number of posts Residents (1) Visits (2) 
			 Iraq 3 4,000 — 
			 USA 12 829,000 5,525,000 
			 Belgium 3 28,000 — 
			 Afghanistan 2 300 — 
			 Japan 2 22,000 — 
			 Germany 3 (3)144.643 2,335,000 
			 Brazil 5 11,000 — 
			 Spain 9 808,000 12,338,267 
			 China 5 47,000 1,173,109 
			 Switzerland 3 (3)38,239 732,050 
			 Russian Federation 3 6,000 — 
			 France 6 253,000 19,300,000 
			 Canada 5 611,000 724,000 
			 South Africa 4 219,000 — 
			 India 10 36,000 787,000 
			 (1) Numbers of residents taken from the IPPR 2010 report “Global Brit: Making the most of the British diaspora” (except where marked). (2) Information on visits can only be obtained from host Governments. Where we can provide this information, it is taken from the 2011 British Behaviour Abroad report. (3) Figure from local authorities. 
		
	
	The figures for our posts in the USA, Belgium, Switzerland and France include the FCO delegations to international bodies such as the UN (New York and Geneva), NATO (Brussels), Council of Europe (Strasbourg) and the OECD (Paris).
	The monetary value of UK trade is published at the following links: trade in goods:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=summaryTrade
	and via the interactive table tool at:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=td_inttradetables;
	trade in services is published in table 9.13 in the Office of National Statistics Pink Book 2011 at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-21551

Iran

Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Chinese and (b) Indian counterparts on trade with Iran.

Alistair Burt: The Government discourage trade with Iran. As part of the dual track policy of pressure and engagement, the Government are committed to lobbying other countries to (i) implement targeted UN sanctions against Iran rigorously, and (ii) extend sanctions against Iran to the same level as those agreed by the UK, wherever possible.
	The Government regularly discuss these issues with both India and China. In particular, we have recently lobbied both countries to reduce their dependence on Iranian oil following the implementation of a phased oil embargo (by the EU) on 23 January.

Iraq

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We remain concerned about the fragile security situation in Iraq, including an unwelcome increase in sectarian tensions. I condemned the terrorist attacks which targeted Iraqi police on 23 February. I called on Iraq's political leaders to unite to ensure political progress delivers real improvements in security for all of Iraq's people, and to bring the perpetrators to justice. We continue to support the Iraqi Government in its fight against terrorism, including through the training of Iraqi police and security forces, and strengthening the rule of law.

North Korea

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the death of Kim Jong-il and the succession to the leadership of Kim Jong-un on the political situation in North Korea.

Henry Bellingham: It appears that the succession from Kim Jong-il to Kim Jong-un is progressing smoothly. Everyday life is continuing and the situation in North Korea, and in the region more generally, is calm. However, the situation in North Korea remains unpredictable, making it difficult to forecast how the regime will react.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), welcomed the recent agreement between the US and the North Korea on North Korea's nuclear weapons programme in a public statement on 29 February. If the North Korean Government upholds this commitment and seizes this opportunity, it will find that the international community is ready to work with North Korea to achieve lasting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking in respect of the repatriation of North Korean refugees from China to North Korea; and what assessment he has made of the likely treatment of refugees when they are repatriated to North Korea.

Henry Bellingham: We are aware of reports of mistreatment of refugees who have been returned to North Korea. We use every opportunity to raise reported abuses of international human rights standards with the North Korean Government, both through the North Korea embassy in London and through our embassy in Pyongyang.
	We have also raised our concerns with the Chinese Government about the treatment of North Korean nationals upon repatriation. We have urged Beijing to allow access by the relevant UN organisations to North Korean citizens in China. Most recently we raised this issue with the Chinese Government at the 19th Round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2011. We will continue to raise the issue of North Korean refugees with the Chinese Government.
	The UK participated in the discussion of last month's report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea at the UN Human Rights Council on 12 March. At the meeting we agreed with the Special Rapporteur that all states should adhere to their obligations to provide asylum seekers protection.

North Korea

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to urge China to abide by its responsibilities under the 1951 Refugee Convention and stop forced repatriation of North Korean refugees.

Henry Bellingham: We have raised our concerns with the Chinese Government on a number of occasions about the treatment of North Korean nationals upon repatriation, and urged them to allow access by the relevant UN organisations to North Korean citizens in China. This formed a part of discussions at the 19th Round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2011.
	We will continue to raise the issue of North Korean refugees with the Chinese Government.

North Korea

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will encourage the BBC World Service to consider establishing a Korean language service to broadcast in North Korea.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds regular meetings with the BBC World Service to discuss its strategic direction and priority markets. North Korea has been discussed in this context.
	However in North Korea it is illegal for citizens to listen to any radio or television broadcasts except from the state broadcaster. This means the options for reaching audiences are extremely limited and resources devoted to such broadcasting would have a very low impact. This necessarily affects the BBC World Service's decisions on this issue.

Turkey

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely date of Turkey's accession to the EU.

David Lidington: Her Majesty's Government strongly support Turkey's accession to the EU. We believe this would benefit security and prosperity in both the EU and Turkey.
	Successive European Councils have made clear that Turkey is a candidate for full membership of the EU and the EU must keep its commitment to candidate countries. Accession for any candidate country is a condition-based not time-based process. Turkey must meet all the requirements of the EU acquis before it can join the EU. Turkey has made clear its firm strategic commitment to accession and we support its full membership. The UK works closely with EU member state counterparts and with the European Commission to encourage and support progress in Turkey's accession process.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Manpower

Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which constituency offices of hon. Members IPSA staff visited (a) as part of the consultation into staffing needs for hon. Members and (b) for other reasons in the last 12 months.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 March 2012
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about visits to constituency offices in the last twelve months.
	IPSA staff have visited the constituency offices of MPs for the following constituencies.
	(a) As part of the review of the MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses:
	Barrow and Furness
	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
	Edmonton
	Fylde
	Islington South and Finsbury
	Lewisham, Deptford
	Lewisham West and Penge
	Luton South
	North Ayrshire and Arran
	Preseli Pembrokeshire
	Putney
	Scunthorpe
	St Ives
	Streatham
	Torridge and West Devon
	Westmoreland and Lonsdale
	Wyre and Preston North
	(b) For other reasons:
	Ashfield
	Chelsea and Fulham
	Croydon South
	East Dunbartonshire
	North Thanet
	Shrewsbury and Atcham

Members: Allowances

Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what methods were used to consult members of the public on the hon. Members' scheme of business costs and expenses between 24 November 2011 and 20 January 2012; what the cost was of such consultation; and how many members of the public participated in the consultation.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 March 2012
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the consultation on the MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses.
	The consultation document was made available on IPSA's website from 24 November 2011 to 20 January 2012, accompanied by an online survey. The marginal cost involved in hosting the document and the survey on the website was negligible. IPSA pays an annual charge of £395 plus VAT for the survey facility.
	Twelve members of the public responded to the consultation document. A further 121 members of the public responded to the consultation survey. The Report on the Consultation and the new edition of the “MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses” were laid before Parliament on 5 March 2012.

Redundancy

Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reason IPSA decided that staff in receipt of redundancy packages employed by hon. Members prior to the creation of IPSA should not be entitled to a doubling of the statutory minimum in the redundancy package made available for staff on IPSA contracts.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 March 2012
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the doubling of redundancy packages for MPs' staff employed prior to the creation of IPSA.
	IPSA has no control over contractual arrangements between MPs and their staff that were entered into prior to the creation of IPSA. MPs are free to move staff to IPSA contracts if both parties agree.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House of Commons: Catering

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission what proportion of food procured by the House of Commons (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources.

John Thurso: The House of Commons catering service is part of the House Service, and therefore is not subject to the Government Buying Standards for food and catering. However, the catering service seeks to follow industry best practice and so has recently completed an audit of its performance against the Government Buying Standards. I am placing a copy of the audit report in the House of Commons Library.
	No record is held of the country of origin of food procured by the House of Commons catering service and so it is not possible to confirm the overall proportion of food sourced from British producers. However, certain categories of food are purchased in accordance with higher animal welfare schemes or standards that demand full traceability through the supply chain, and estimate that over the past 12 months: (i) more than 98% of fresh meat and poultry supplies were from British reared and slaughtered livestock; (ii) around two-thirds of seafood supplied was caught in British coastal waters; (iii) all fresh eggs were British, Lion-stamped and Freedom Food assured; (iv) all fresh milk and cream was sourced from UK producers; and (v) all dairy ice creams and sorbets were produced in the UK using local fresh milk and cream.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Bank Services

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to EU Council Act 2001/C 326/01 of 16 October 2001, on how many occasions the UK authorities (a) issued and (b) received requests to (i) provide information on a bank account pursuant to Article 1 of the Act, (ii) provide information on banking transactions pursuant to Article 2 of the Act and (iii) monitor banking transactions under Article 3 of the Act in each year since 2002; and how many of each type of request have been granted.

James Brokenshire: Outgoing requests under EU Council Act 2001/C 326/01 of 16 October 2001 are issued directly by UK prosecution agencies and other judicial authorities and are not recorded by the Home Office. The UK Central Authority (UKCA) within the Home Office deals with incoming requests only in relation to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Articles 1-3 of EU Council Act 2001/C 326/01 of 16 October 2001 are not the exclusive means by which member states may request banking information. The UKCA records do not distinguish between requests made under EU Council Act 2001/C 326/01 of 16 October 2001 and those made on any other valid basis and neither do they distinguish between requests for (i) and (ii). No requests have been received for (iii) although they may not have been separately recorded if made alongside a request for (i) and/or (ii).

Boothby Report

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the letter of 24 January 2012 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime and Security to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe, whether a copy of the Boothby Report has been located; and if this will be made available to the hon. Member's constituent, Mr Paul Cleeland.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 28 February 2012
	I have been informed that a copy of the Boothby Report has been provided, by Hertfordshire police, to solicitors acting for Mr Cleeland.

Crime: Nature Conservation

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce international wildlife crime; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Government works through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to tackle smuggling and trafficking of wildlife. In line with the coalition's commitments, the Home Office is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (which leads on CITES) to ensure an effective multi-agency, operational response to combating the smuggling and illegal trade of wildlife. This includes co-funding the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which has as one of its priorities tackling CITES related crimes, and it in turn has provided assistance to a range of international enforcement agencies.
	This response will be further strengthen by the creation in 2013 of the Border Policing Command, within the National Crime Agency, whose remit will include co-ordinating the activities of the agencies operating in and around the border, principally Border Force, to crack down on the trafficking of wildlife through the UK border.

Crimes of Violence: Pedicabs

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received on assaults committed by drivers of rickshaws plying for hire.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 13 March 2012
	The Home Office has no records of having received representations on assaults committed by riders of rickshaws plying for hire.

Drugs

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people were charged with offences relating to the cultivation of cannabis in (a) Dartford constituency, (b) Kent and (c) England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people were charged with offences relating to the sale of cannabis in (a) Dartford constituency, (b) Kent and (c) England in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for cannabis supply and cultivation offences in England and the Kent police force area, from 2006 to 2010 (latest available), is given in the following table.
	Charging data at this level of detail are not collated centrally thus proceedings data have been given in lieu.
	Court proceedings data held centrally by the Ministry of Justice are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
	
		
			 Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for cannabis supply and cultivation offences, England and Kent police force area, 2006 to 2010 (1, 2) 
			 Area 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 England      
			 Supply and possession with intent to supply cannabis 2,094 2,049 2,397 2,586 3,488 
			 Cultivate cannabis 1,703 2,386 2,956 3,935 6,294 
			 Of which:      
			 Kent police force area: (3)      
			 Supply and possession with intent to supply cannabis — 15 52 77 92 
			 Cultivate cannabis 2 11 71 109 154 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Data relating to the Kent police force area for 2006 and 2007 are known to have been under-reported. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. [Ref: 203-12]

EU Justice and Home Affairs

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the UK's compliance with EU Council Decision 2000/375/JHA of 29 May 2000, on combating child pornography on the internet.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 13 March 2012
	We believe that the UK is fully compliant with the Council Decision. The UK must decide, no later than 31 May 2014, whether to accept full European Court of Justice jurisdiction over those EU police and criminal justice measures adopted before 1 December 2009 which have not been amended or replaced. This measure falls within the scope of that decision and will be reviewed accordingly.
	The Government take child protection very seriously and strongly support the work of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre, the internet industry and the Internet Watch Foundation to tackle illegal images of child sexual abuse.

EU Justice and Home Affairs Council

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2012, Official Report, column 520W, on EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, if she will publish the findings of each of the five evaluation rounds conducted under EU Joint Action 97/827/JHA.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The Council Secretariat of the European Union co-ordinates the evaluation process and the final reports. Once finalised, the reports are made public. Final reports on the first four evaluations have been published and can be found on the Council's public register using the following link and document reference numbers.
	http://www.consilium.europa.eu/documents?lang=en
	8648/01—1(st) round report
	9615/03—2(nd) round report
	13321/07—3(rd) round report
	8302/09—4(th) round report

Families

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in her Department are working on the troubled families initiative.

James Brokenshire: The troubled families team, which administers this initiative, is based within the Department for Communities and Local Government. Officials within my Department are in regular touch with this team on all aspects of the programme, but are not a formal part of the team.

Families

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether funding of the troubled families initiative has had implications for the funding of other programmes operated by her Department; what such programmes are; and what funding has been so directed in each case.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office is contributing £75 million over the next three financial years to the troubled families programme. This funding has been allocated as a result of reduced costs in other areas and from the Department's contingency provision. No previously announced programmes will be cut as a result of this decision.

Firearms: Forensic Science

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the letter of 24 January 2012 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime and Security to the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe, whether she has received a response from the Forensic Science Regulator as to whether a review is necessary into firearm discharge residue testing; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 28 February 2012
	Mr Andrew Rennison (the Forensic Science Regulator) has proposed an initial review of the use of the sodium rhodizonate test in the 1970s. Details of the review were set out in a letter to the hon. Member on 3 March. A copy of that letter has been provided to the Library of the House.

Gold: Theft

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to reduce levels of theft and resale of (a) gold and (b) other precious metals.

James Brokenshire: A number of police forces have seen rises in the theft of gold and other precious metals and have responded by working closely with their communities and businesses to offer advice on security and good practice. How the police respond to local crime priorities is an operational matter for the chief constable and from November this year, police and crime commissioners.
	The Home Office will continue to listen to the advice of the police and industry concerning the theft and re-sale of gold and other precious metals and, if appropriate, take steps at a national level in support of local action.

Metropolitan Police Service: Finance

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding the Metropolitan Police service received from the European Commission for Operation Golf.

Nick Herbert: This information is not held centrally. Any payments made by the Metropolitan Police Service relating to operational matters, or income received by the force from sources other than the police main grant are a matter for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.

Police

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the draft proposals of the West Midlands and Surrey police authorities to contract out policing services to the private sector;
	(2)  what her policy is on the areas of police authority expenditure that are not appropriate for contracting to private sector companies;
	(3)  what guidance she has issued to (a) the Association of Chief Police Officers and (b) police authorities on the commissioning of front-line policing services from the private sector;
	(4)  what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the managing of private sector contracts by police authorities;
	(5)  what guidance she has given to police authorities on requirements for due diligence on the letting of police contracts to the private sector.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office supports police authorities and police forces (and from November 2012 Police and Crime Commissioners) in examining options for private sector partnering as part of broader efforts to reduce costs while maintaining and improving services to the public.
	Chief constables and police authorities are responsible for decisions on spending and are accountable for achieving results which ensure value for money.
	There is no intention to allow private companies to carry out police activities which require warranted powers except to the extent that this has already been achieved for detention and escort officers by legislation passed under the previous Government.

Telecommunications: Databases

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests to (a) intercept and transmit telecommunications and (b) intercept, record and transmit telecommunications under Article 18 of EU Council Act of 29 May 2000 (2000/C197/01) have UK authorities (i) made to and (ii) received from other EU member states in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those requests have been granted.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The Home Office records do not distinguish between requests coming within (a) or (b). The UK has not made any requests under Article 18. The following table shows the numbers or requests received and granted for each of the last 10 years:
	
		
			  Received Granted 
			 2002 0 0 
			 2003 0 0 
			 2004 0 0 
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 3 1 
			 2007 6 3 
			 2008 5 2 
			 2009 1 0 
			 2010 0 0 
			 2011 1 0

TREASURY

Air Travel

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions he has taken flights to overseas countries on official business since August 2010; what class of travel was used on each such flight; and by whom he was accompanied.

Chloe Smith: All ministerial visits are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.
	The Department has committed to publish details of ail ministers meetings, hospitality and overseas travel, including that of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne). This data is published on the HM Treasury website and can be found at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Banks: Iceland

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress he has made in recouping the money owed to the UK by Iceland following their financial crisis.

Mark Hoban: In November 2008, following the Financial Services Authority's (FSA) announcement that the UK branch of Landsbanki was in default, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) began payouts to UK depositors with Icesave. The FSCS made payments of approx. £4.5 billion to UK depositors in Icesave. These payments were made up of three different tranches:
	(a) £2.3 billion for deposit balances up to EUR 20,887 (£16,872) which should have been paid by the Icelandic Depositors and Investor Guarantee Fund (DIGF).
	(b) £1.4 billion for deposit balances above £16,872 and below £50,000 which the FSCS is liable for.
	(c) £0.8 billion for deposit balances above £50,000 which HM Treasury is liable for.
	Negotiations took place with Iceland and in December 2010 a new loan agreement was initialled by the UK and Iceland in respect of the £2.3 billion loan. This loan was ratified by the Icelandic Parliament but on 8 April 2011 the loan agreement was rejected in an Icelandic referendum.
	As Iceland is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Surveillance Authority (ESA) will commence proceedings against Iceland in the EFTA Court in respect of this loan. This case, which the ESA is preparing, will confirm whether there is a legal obligation for Iceland to repay the amounts distributed by the UK and The Netherlands on behalf of Iceland.
	Details of the Icesave loans as at 31 March 2011, including repayments and interest received, can be found in Sections 36 of the Treasury Annual Reports and Accounts 2010-11. The report can be accessed via the following web link:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/annual_report_ accounts140711.pdf
	Figures as at 31 March 2012 will be published in the Treasury Annual Reports and Accounts 2011-12.
	The Government have exposure to three Icelandic banks in respect of compensation payments to UK depositors: Landsbanki (Icesave), Heritable Bank plc and Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (KSF). However, Heritable Bank plc and KSF are UK-based banking subsidiaries of Icelandic banks and are regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). As such, there is no liability from the Icelandic Authorities.

Business: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in the city of York were registered for VAT in each of the last 10 years.

David Gauke: Between 1999 and 2008, the number of businesses registered for value added tax at the start of the year is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  City of York 
			 1999 2,180 
			 2000 2,220 
			 2001 2,270 
			 2002 2,315 
			 2003 2,330 
			 2004 2,425 
			 2005 2,505 
			 2006 2,565 
			 2007 2,635 
			 2008 2,765 
		
	
	These figures originate from the report ‘Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations’, published by the Department for Businesses Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in November 2008. This report has now been discontinued. An extended series covering the later years can be produced only at disproportionate costs.

Child Benefit: Rutherglen

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency are currently in receipt of child benefit.

David Gauke: There are 13,705 families in Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency currently in receipt of child benefit.
	This information is published in the HMRC publication ‘Child Benefit Statistics Geographical analysis at Country, Region, Local Authority and Parliamentary Constituency levels’. Information for August 2011 can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug11.pdf
	Table 6 has this information by Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Employment and Support Allowance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings to the public purse have been projected from the reform of employment and support allowance in each budget and autumn statement since May 2010.

Danny Alexander: The information requested is available on the HM Treasury website within Tables 2.1 and 2.2 of the relevant fiscal event documents. The website can be accessed at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

Film

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the contribution to the national balance of payments of the animation industry;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the value to the economy of the animation industry.

David Gauke: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), gave on 27 February 2012, Official Report, column 42W.

Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of food procured by his Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury's catering services are currently provided by a sub-contractor to our PFI provider.
	(a) Although there is no requirement in the current contract to meet British Food Standards for Food and Catering, the sub-contractor works with the PFI supplier and the Treasury to ensure that these standards are complied with as far as practical, bearing in mind they are a commercial organisation and Treasury has no direct contractual relationship with them.
	The hon. Member will recollect from my earlier answer of 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1022W, on departmental food, that Treasury will ensure that the new contract references the Government's Buying Standards for Food and Catering as far as possible when the new contract is let in July 2014.
	Currently, the catering sub-contractor is accredited by Assured Food Standards and monthly product ranges include Red Tractor products appropriate to the season.
	(b) For the period April 2010 to March 2011, the catering sub-contractor sourced 71% of its food supplies from UK food producers.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount that would be raised or lost in future years if the 50 pence income tax rate were introduced at (a) £100,000, (b) £125,000, (c) £150,000, (d) £175,000 and (e) £200,000 income per annum;

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from the introduction of the 50 pence tax rate; and what the cost to the public purse has been of collecting it.

David Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), has asked HM Revenue and Customs to assess the revenue from the 50 per cent rate of income tax. HMRC will consider a wide range of evidence including data from the 2010-11 self-assessment returns filed at the end of January 2012.
	Until HMRC's assessment has been completed it is not possible to assess the impact of the introduction of the additional 50 per cent income tax rate at different thresholds.
	Information relating to the cost to HMRC of collecting this revenue is not available.

Loans: Local Government

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has estimated how much the Debt Management Office will raise from the financial charge levied on loans provided to local authorities under the self-financing housing reforms.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 22 February 2012
	If all eligible authorities choose to borrow from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB), which is part of the UK Debt Management Office (DMO), to fund all their obligations under the housing reform scheme, up to £13.4 billion could be borrowed. This would be equivalent to around £4.7 million in fees.
	Fees are non-discretionary and set by regulation and fee income is routinely published in the PWLB's annual report and accounts.
	Fees contribute towards the DMO's costs of delivering the PWLB function in the year they are levied, with any surplus being managed by HM Treasury within the departmental expenditure limit (DEL) and in keeping with standard public spending control processes.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and what estimate he has made of the likely savings in each case.

Chloe Smith: Between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012, HM Treasury has repealed the following statutory instruments:
	
		
			 Statutory instrument number Name of regulation repealed Costs/savings and further information 
			 2011/1244 Syria (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 Both of these statutory instruments are repealed by The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2012 (2012/129). There are no costs or savings from the repeal.(1) 
			 2011/2479 Syria (Asset-Freezing) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 —(1) 
			    
			 1986 No. 130 Credit Unions (Limit on Loans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 Each of these statutory instruments is repealed by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Permissions, Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) (Northern Ireland Credit Unions) Order 2011 (2011/2832). The statutory instrument replaces them by bringing registration and regulation of Northern Irish Credit Unions to the Financial Services Authority (FSA) (or future bodies). This will involve an estimated Net Present Value cost of £796,000. This mainly falls on the Treasury, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and FSA as the result of setting and administering the new regime. There are expected to be unqualified benefits to business such as increased consumer protection on the ability of Northern Irish Credit Unions to offer new products, such as ISAs.(1) 
			 1988 No. 245 Credit Unions (Insurance against Fraud etc.) Order (Northern Ireland) —(1) 
		
	
	
		
			 1995 No. 31 Credit Unions (Authorized Investments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) —(1) 
			 2006 No. 76 Credit Unions (Limit on Membership) Order (Northern Ireland) —(1) 
			 2006 No. 77 Credit Unions (Limit on Shares) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006 —(1) 
			 2006 No. 78 Credit Unions (Deposits and Loans) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006 —(1) 
			 (1) Indicates brace

Revenue and Customs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the budget is for moving HM Revenue and Customs staff from Wingfield to Lynx House; and whether any costs have been incurred as a result of remodelling facilities to accommodate more people and upgrading the IT capacity at Lynx House;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of savings from the closure of Wingfield House;
	(3)  how many HM Revenue and Customs staff will be moved to Lynx House;
	(4)  what the cost to the public purse will be of increased travel allowances for HM Revenue and Customs staff as a result of moving from Wingfield to Lynx House.

David Gauke: At present the closure of Wingfield House, Portsmouth in 2014-15 is a proposal only and no final decisions have yet been made. The proposal would see all of the staff based at Wingfield House, a total of 454.6 full time equivalent parts, relocating to Lynx House with a small number remaining to provide face to face Inquiry Centre services either from Wingfield House or from an alternative location nearby. However this may alter depending on individual circumstances or on changes to business plans after the feasibility process is completed.
	HMRC is currently carrying out feasibility work on all of its proposals and its findings will inform the decision making process. The work undertaken includes looking at the capacity of importing offices along with one to one discussions between staff and their managers to establish how personal circumstances may affect an individual's ability to travel.
	If the closure goes ahead financial support in the form of daily travel assistance (DTA) will be considered for those who face increased travel costs as the result of the move. Wingfield House is less than 3.5 miles from Lynx House. DTA will normally be payable for three years to people who qualify but this may be extended to five years for those who relocate outside of reasonable travel.
	HMRC does not intend to publish specific costs or savings arising from individual buildings as there would be issues of commercial sensitivity in doing so. HMRC will be looking at global savings across its estate as a whole both to deliver the efficiencies required by the 2010 spending review and to take into account the Government targets on estate performance and sustainability in place for all civil service Departments.

Revenue and Customs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of staff that will leave HM Revenue and Customs through natural wastage in the next 12 months; how this estimate has been made; and whether HM Revenue and Customs took into account the increase in the pension age for women.

David Gauke: HMRC's current forecast anticipates that an average of 265 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts will be lost each month through natural wastage. This figure is an estimate reached at the beginning of the year and may well be reviewed for the future at the start of 2012-13.
	This projection was reached using data provided by each of HMRC's lines of businesses. The businesses have provided their projections on the best knowledge they had, including historical data and a forward look. The projection makes assumptions about the number of staff staying on beyond normal retirement age, informed by historical data on hand at the date of the forecast but does not take into account the increase in pension age for women.

Revenue and Customs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect the proposed reduction in HM Revenue and Customs staff of 10,000 full-time equivalents will have on the number of staff employed in the Portsmouth office.

David Gauke: HMRC is still drawing up its plans to meet this reduction and it is too soon to say just what this might mean for any individual location. However I can state that HMRC plans a long term future at Portsmouth which together with Southampton forms Solent, one of the 16 key locations where HMRC has announced it will be maintaining operations until at least 2020.

Smuggling

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to tackle illegal (a) tobaccco and (b) fuel smuggling.

Chloe Smith: In April 2011, HMRC published a comprehensive new strategy: “Tackling Tobacco Smuggling—building on our success”. The strategy is available in the Commons Library and at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/tackling-tobacco.htm
	HMRC also has a comprehensive strategy in place to tackle fuel fraud and crime. The oils anti-fraud strategy was launched in 2001 and has driven down the estimated illicit market considerably in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
	The Government have re-invested over £900 million over the spending review period from 2011-12 to 2013-14 to tackle organised crime and tax evasion, including tobacco and oils fraud.

Tax Allowances: Film

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered introducing a tax credit for the animation industry.

David Gauke: All aspects of the tax system are kept under review and any new policies are announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), at Budget.

Taxation: Africa

Tessa Munt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to developing countries in Africa of (a) the use of tax havens and (b) corruption by companies based in the UK since May 2010.

Stephen O'Brien: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for International Development.
	No such estimates have been made.

Thames Estuary Airport

Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  who (a) he and (b) his officials have met to discuss proposals for an airport in the Thames Estuary in the last year;
	(2)  how many times (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have met individuals or organisations in support of proposals for an airport in the Thames Estuary in the last year.

Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

VAT: Tax Rates and Bands

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had in relation to lowering the rate of VAT on (a) maintenance or home improvement and (b) tourism.

David Gauke: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Banks: Foreign Workers

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to make it more difficult for jobs in the banking sector to be outsourced overseas.

Mark Prisk: Naturally the Government would like to see as many operations and the jobs associated with them in the UK as possible. We do however recognise the benefits that off-shoring can bring, e.g. improving a firm's competitiveness which may then lead to the subsequent creation of jobs back in the UK. It is companies themselves that are best placed to take strategic decisions about the location of their work force in order to maximise their ability to remain stable and competitive. Government's role is to ensure that we create the right economic conditions within the UK to support that stability and growth.

Business

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to assist businesses improve their human resource functions.

Mark Prisk: All Government support and advice for businesses is available at:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	Government's online information service for businesses which we have recently updated and improved. Improvements include a new growth and improvement service and my new business, a comprehensive start-up service which includes a range of online information, training modules, and practical guides. There is also a range of specific information and tools available under “Employment and Skills” to help businesses improve their human resource capability including recruitment, pay, managing people, conflict resolution and dismissals.
	In addition, we have facilitated a new national network of experienced business mentors.
	www.mentorsme.co.uk
	provides a single point of access for those seeking mentoring and those seeking to be mentors, covering the whole of the UK and aims to raise awareness of mentoring. It currently provides access to around 75 mentoring organisations and through them 11,000 mentors and this number continues to grow—offering both free and paid for mentoring on a range of issues.

Business: Loans

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to promote sources of finance for small businesses other than bank lending.

Mark Prisk: It is important that businesses have access to a diverse range of finance sources, other than bank lending, including equity investment and alternative forms of finance.
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has established an industry working group, led by Tim Breedon of the Association of British Insurers to explore how to further develop non-bank lending channels. This group will report by Budget 2012.
	The Government itself have undertaken a range of measures to promote a range of finance:
	To support equity investment in firms, Government have increased its commitment to the Enterprise Capital Funds programme by £200 million over the four years to 2014-15, providing for more than £300 million of venture capital investment.
	Government have encouraged a better environment for Business Angel investment through the establishment of the new £50 million Business Angel Co-Investment Fund, which aims to support angel investments into high growth potential early stage Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs).
	Government have reformed the Enterprise Investment scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs), increasing rate of income tax relief for EIS to 30% and increasing amounts that can be invested in qualifying companies and the size of qualifying companies (subject to state-aid clearance). From April 2012 the Seed EIS (SEIS) scheme will provide income tax relief of 50% for individuals who invest in shares in qualifying seed companies, with an annual investment limit for individuals of £100,000 and cumulative investment limit for companies of £150,000.
	The Government's Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is also available until 2014-15, to guarantee, subject to demand, up to £2 billion in additional lending for those firms who lack the collateral or the track record to secure debt finance. From January 2012 this was extended to include businesses with up to £44 million annual turnover and a number of new lenders have been accredited.
	To support firms' access to finance the Government have also announced £21 billion of credit easing measures to support smaller and mid-sized businesses which will include £20 billion of guarantees for bank funding to be made available over two years under the National Loan Guarantee scheme; and the £1 billion Business Finance Partnership which will be deployed to stimulate markets in alternative forms of finance.
	As part of the Government's “Business in You” campaign, the Government's Business Link website provides advice and guidance for businesses on the range of finance options available and how to apply. This can be found at
	www.improve.businesslink.gov.uk/resources/business-support-finder
	Additionally, there are a number of government agencies which offer businesses alternatives to bank finance through more tailored support, this includes:
	The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) which provides a range of support for R and D and innovation including grants; support for Knowledge Transfer; and is establishing a network of elite Catapult Centres to commercialise R and D on new and emerging technologies.
	The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) which helps small and medium sized manufacturing firms achieve big improvements in their productivity and competitiveness by providing direct access to manufacturing experts who provide professional advice and practical, hands-on support

Business: Regulation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward a review of the one-in-one-out system.

Mark Prisk: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 9 February 2012, Official Report, column 399-400W.

Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small businesses have been helped under his Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Prisk: As of February 2012, 17,339 small and medium-sized businesses had been offered loans under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. The total value of these loans is £1.76 billion. Not all of these loans offers have been drawn down by the companies that have been offered them. The total number of drawn down loans is 15,168 loans, valued at £1.52 bil1ion.

EU Grants and Loans

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much and what proportion of the total funds available under convergence funding has been spent in each qualifying area.

Mark Prisk: The Structural Funds allocations for 2007-13 for areas of the UK with convergence funding status and figures for the proportion of those allocations committed and paid to projects (as at end December 2011) are set out in the following table. All of the programmes are on track to achieve full commitment and spend.
	The figures relate to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF).
	
		
			 Area Allocation (£ million) Contractual committed (£ million/(%)) Paid to projects (£ million/(%)) 
			  ERDF ESF ERDF ESF ERDF ESF 
			 West Wales and the Valleys 1135.9 770.3 893.7 (78.7) 699.3 (90.8) 291.8 (25.7) 244.9 (31.8) 
			 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 392.4 163.7 289.7 (73.8) 163.0 (99.6) 205.9 (52.5) 67.7 (41.4) 
		
	
	These are multi-year programmes and there is a time lag between contractual commitment and actual spend, with spend lower in the earlier years of the programmes. Allocations must be contractually committed by the end of 2013 and spent by the end of 2015. In order to avoid funds being ‘decommitted’ and returned to Brussels, tranches of the allocation must be spent by set deadlines (allocation plus two years—‘N+2’). The UK has hit all N+2 targets in this funding period. In 2011, West Wales and the Valleys achieved 122% of N+2 for ERDF and 134% for ESF. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly achieved 110% for ERDF and 150% for ESF.
	Across the EU, as at end December 2011 the average percentage of the Structural Funds allocation paid out to member states by the Commission upon receipt of a valid claim for reimbursement for programmes was 24.2%. The UK's performance was above average at 29.2%.

Exports: Kurdistan

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value of each category of export to Kurdistan was in the last year for which figures are available.

Mark Prisk: HM Revenue and Customs Overseas Trade Statistics only collect figures for countries on the geo-nomenclature. Kurdistan is not listed as a separate country, so it is not possible to separate out trade figures for Kurdistan from the total trade figures for Iraq.

Film: Intellectual Property

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the monetary value of the intellectual property owned by the UK animation industry.

Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mark Field) on 1 March 2012, Official Report, column 445W.

Foreign Investment in UK

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the longest period of time taken has been for (a) a regional inward investment organisation and (b) a local economic partnership to access international pipeline markets after having signed a memorandum of understanding with his Department.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The longest waiting period from receipt of the relevant documentation from a local partner seeking access to the single national pipeline was approximately six weeks (Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership). The second longest waiting period experienced was five weeks (Locate in Kent). The more typical waiting period (following receipt of the relevant documentation) is 48 hours to receive access to the national pipeline.
	The reason for the extended delay experienced by a few partners was due to technical problems they faced in accessing the National School of Government platform necessary for them to register for the e-learning training modules that are mandatory in accessing the material held in the pipeline. A solution has been developed to address this access problem.

Job Creation: Private Sector

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of private sector job creation in recent months.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not produced any estimates of the number of jobs created in the private sector in recent months.
	While the Office for National Statistics also does not publish estimates of jobs created in the private sector, they do publish estimates of total employment in the private sector on a quarterly basis, which are shown in the following table, taken from the ONS Labour Market Statistics release on 15 February 2012.
	
		
			 UK private sector employment 
			  Million, seasonally adjusted 
			 December 2010 22.945 
			 March 2011 23.059 
			 June 2011 23.115 
			 September 2011 23.120

London Development Agency: Pay

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any staff employed by the London Development Agency received retention bonuses after the announcement of the abolition of the regional development agencies.

Mark Prisk: The functions, assets and liabilities of the London Development Agency (LDA) are being transferred to the Greater London Authority, along with some LDA staff. The LDA has not offered retention payments to any of its staff.

Manufacturing Industries

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will (a) place in the Library a copy of and (b) publish Sir Anthony Bamford's report on UK manufacturing.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 1 March 2012
	There are no plans to place the report in the Libraries of the House.

Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on supporting the manufacturing sector in each of the last three years.

Mark Prisk: BIS does not measure its expenditure by sector but by function, for example, during the past three years we have spent £43.8 million on the Grant for Business Investment, (which was the predecessor of the Regional Growth Fund and from which the manufacturing sector has been a key beneficiary) and £52.8 million on the Manufacturing Advisory Service.
	Overall, the Government provides a wide range of support to the manufacturing sector. We announced a package of measures at the 2011 Budget in the “Plan for Growth” to help manufacturing firms commercialise technological innovations, boost access to a skilled workforce and improve the image of the sector.
	In the autumn statement further measures were announced that will benefit manufacturers including an additional £6.3 billion—of which £1.3 billion was announced earlier in the year—in infrastructure investment over this spending review period, and a further £5 billion in the next. We are now committing £2.4 billion to the Regional Growth Fund and £25 million to a Higher Apprenticeships Fund. In addition, we will be providing £59 million to the modernised Manufacturing Advisory Service between 2012 and 2015. There will also be more funding for science and innovation. Furthermore, on 6 December 2011 we launched a £125 million challenge fund to boost UK advanced manufacturing supply chains.

Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to invite bids for the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative.

Mark Prisk: An advance notice of this competition was published on 9 February and further details will be available shortly. Information about this competition can be found on the Technology Strategy Board website:
	www.innovateuk.org

Overseas Trade: Tunisia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to help the Anglo-Tunisian Chamber of Commerce to increase bilateral trade.

Mark Prisk: We have regular contact with the Tunisian-British Chamber of Commerce (TBBC) and are in the process of agreeing a Memorandum of Understanding with regard to collaboration on areas of mutual interest. We shall assist with a planned visit by the TBBC to the UK.

Public Consultation

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many consultations the Government has conducted since May 2010.

Mark Prisk: The Department does not record the number of consultations conducted by Government.

Shops: Empty Property

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) recent steps he has taken and (b) steps he plans to take to encourage small businesses to take over unoccupied high street shops.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 12 March 2012
	Mary Portas' independent review of the high street considered a wide range of issues and town centres. She made 28 recommendations including on the issue of unoccupied shops. The Minister for Housing and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), will be responding on behalf of the Government to her report in the spring.
	Further recent initiatives include the launch of the High Street Pilot Scheme, a competition to find 12 areas to pilot a strategy for improving the economic vitality of England's high streets. Following the publication of the growth report the Government extended the current small business rate relief holiday for one year from 1 October 2011.

South West Regional Development Agency: Government Procurement Card

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a list of the Government Procurement Card transactions, including each transaction (a) date, (b) recipient and (c) value made by the South West Regional Development Agency in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: The South West Regional Development Agency has not made use of Government Procurement Cards and there are therefore no transactions to list.

UK Trade and Investment: Oil

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which UK-based companies which develop and export oil shale technologies were in receipt of support from UK Trade and Investment on the most recent date for which information is available.

Mark Prisk: The technology used to extract shale oil has not been seen as sufficiently distinct from more mainstream oil and gas technology to warrant a separate classification in UK Trade and Investment's Customer Relationship Management system. It is therefore not a straightforward matter to identify companies with specifically shale oil-related equipment and services that have made use of UKTI services. This means that collating a comprehensive list would incur a disproportionate cost.

Yorkshire Forward: Pay

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any staff formerly employed by the Yorkshire Forward Development Agency received retention bonuses after the announcement by the Government of the abolition of the regional development agencies.

Mark Prisk: The eight regional development agencies (RDA's) have put in place arrangements to secure the retention of key staff until the agencies are closed. They have made these arrangements with the approval of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and HM Treasury. This is to safeguard the taxpayer's interest in making best use of the significant public assets that the RDAs have owned. A retention payment process had been recommended to be put into place by the National Audit Office. At Yorkshire Forward to date, no member of staff has received a retention payment.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the (a) interim and (b) concluding reports from the drug and alcohol recovery payment by results pilots and the report on lessons learned from those pilots will be published.

Anne Milton: The Drugs and Alcohol Recovery Payment by Results (PbR) pilots programme is being launched in the week commencing 2 April 2012, and will be independently evaluated. The evaluation findings and lessons learned will be widely disseminated. Detailed publication plans will be developed in due course.
	Eight pilot areas will launch new PbR models which have been co-designed in April. The purpose of the pilots is to explore how PbR can work for drug recovery for adults in the community and to incentivise providers to support people to achieve lasting recovery. The Department has commissioned the University of Manchester to carry out a three-year independent evaluation of the drugs and alcohol recovery PbR pilots programme. The evaluation team are required to produce the following outputs/reports:
	In June 2012, following an initial scoping and feasibility phase, provide a report including a selective review of the relevant research literature, refined evaluation; proposals, detail on the engagement with pilot sites to date and any emerging findings;
	Provide further interim reports on an annual basis;
	Provide brief update reports on a quarterly basis, including submission of headline management information; and
	Provide a final report in October 2014.
	Under the terms and conditions of departmental research contracts, research contractors are expected to publish their findings. The evaluation team will be asked to produce a detailed publication and dissemination plan in due course.

Cancer

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to improve (a) cancer, (b) accident and emergency, (c) paediatric and (d) geriatric services in the West Midlands.

Paul Burstow: The provision of national health services is a matter for the local NHS.
	The NHS Operating Framework for 2012-13, published by the Department in November 2011, states NHS organisations should continue to work to meet the expectations set out in “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”. Backed by more than £750 million over the next four years, the strategy sets out plans to improve earlier diagnosis, access to screening and treatment and improve patients' experience of care.
	On 13 December 2011, the Department published the first annual report of the Cancer strategy. The report highlights progress made; including improved data collection and analysis and campaigns to improve the public's awareness of cancer symptoms.
	In October 2011, the Department piloted a five-week lung cancer awareness campaign in the Midlands using television, radio, press and face-to-face events, to encourage people who have had a cough for at least three weeks to see a general practitioner. Initial results indicate it has been successful in raising public awareness.
	The eight new clinical quality indicators; that replaced the accident and emergency four hour waiting time standard on 1 April 2011, have put in place more meaningful performance measures that balance timeliness of care with other indicators of quality, including clinical outcomes and patient experience. The aim is to encourage a spirit of continuous improvement that will drive up standards of care, rather than simply achieving targets.
	The “National Framework for Children and Young. People's Continuing Care”, sets out an equitable, transparent and timely process for those children and young people under the age of 18 who have continuing care needs that cannot be met by existing universal and specialist services alone and whose needs require bespoke commissioning of services. The “National Framework” leads to a child's needs being assessed against 10 care domains, irrespective of diagnosis.
	In January 2012 the Department announced the development of a Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Strategy, as. part of this Government's commitment to ensure the health system plays an effective part in supporting the development and life chances of young people. It will be published by summer 2012 so recommendations can inform the planning for 2013-14.
	The Department of Health is working with the Department for Education on a number of aspects of the Green. Paper on special educational needs and disability, published in March 2011, in response to calls for better support for children with disabilities.
	The Department encourages providers to increase-the quality of their services to older people, by sharing best practice, bringing people together, and putting in place the right system incentives.
	The Department aims to keep older people well and out of hospital; to help older people regain their independence after a period of support; to provide older people with advice and choice around their end of life care; and to give older people a greater say in their care.
	The Department is developing a cross-government Long-term Condition Outcomes Strategy that it aims to publish in late 2012, which will promote patient and carer involvement and shared decision-making in all of the support that people with long-term conditions receive.

Cancer: Drugs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Portsmouth NHS Trust informed his Department of the death of Mr Ricky Peter Hayes as a result of the use of fluorouracil; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: We can confirm that the Department was not notified of the death of Mr Hayes. We are advised that Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust reported this case to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Carers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that carers who care for a family member do not suffer ill-health as a consequence of their work.

Paul Burstow: “Recognised, valued and supported: Next steps for the Carers Strategy”, sets out the priority areas for action over four years, between 2011 and 2015. This includes supporting carers to remain mentally and physically well. The Department funded 25 Carers Strategy Demonstrator sites that looked at various ways of supporting carers to look after their own health. An independent evaluation “New Approaches to Supporting Carers' Health and Well-being”, was published last year. This document has been placed in the Library and can be found at the following website at:
	www.sociology.leeds.ac.uk/circle/news/new-approaches.php
	We are providing additional funding of £400 million to the national health service between 2011 and 2015 to support carers to take a break from their caring responsibilities.
	We have made almost £1 million available for general practitioner training in 2011-12, to increase their awareness and understanding of carers' health needs so that they can receive appropriate advice and treatment and we plan to build on that further in 2012-13.

Carers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to prevent poverty for carers who care for a family member; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The Department has regular discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions about benefits and support for those with caring responsibilities.
	The Cross Government's Carers Strategy “Recognised, valued and supported: Next steps for the Carers' Strategy”, recognises that carers should not face financial hardship and the Departments are working together to take forward various initiatives to support carers in their caring role, through welfare reform and in developing the White Paper on care and support. We are looking at putting the rights of carers on a firmer footing in social care so that they have similar rights to the people they care for.

Carers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to ensure consistent levels of provision of social care support.

Paul Burstow: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 128W.

Clinical Commissioning Group

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments are made to GPs for attendance at meetings of clinical commissioning groups.

Simon Burns: Subject to the Health and Social Care Bill, once a clinical commissioning group (CCG) is established as a statutory body, its governing body will determine the remuneration, fees and allowances payable to the employees of the CCG, or to other persons providing services to it, and will be advised on this by the remuneration committee.
	The CCG members will determine the remuneration, and travelling and other allowances for the governing body members.
	A CCG may also pay such travelling and other allowances as it considers appropriate to members, individuals acting on behalf of members, and members of committees or sub-committees.
	Any payments currently made to general practitioners for attending meetings in relation to clinical commissioning or the development of CCGs are a matter for the relevant primary care trust.

Disadvantaged: Families

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether funding of the troubled families initiative has had implications for the funding of other programmes operated by his Department; what such programmes are; and what funding has been so diverted in each case.

Paul Burstow: The Troubled Families programme is one of a number of new programmes the Department is funding over the spending review period.
	Funding has been found through the normal budget setting process, in which the Department reviews its overall funding priorities, reallocates funding from work areas which are coming to an end or where costs have changed, and adjusts funding to meet new priorities. It is not possible therefore to identify exactly which changes, across the Department's budget, have contributed to funding for Troubled Families.
	The Estimates Memorandum for each Department will be published by Parliament and the estimates themselves will be published by Treasury in the early part of the new financial year 2012-13. These documents will carry the detail of programme budget changes.

Eyesight: Surgery

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will commission an independent patient study on the results of laser eye surgery;
	(2)  what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the success of laser eye surgery.

Simon Burns: The Department has not directly commissioned or evaluated research specifically on the success of laser eye surgery, and has no plans to directly commission an independent patient study of the results of such surgery.
	The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds the UK Cochrane Centre. The centre supports the preparation, maintenance and accessibility of systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare interventions produced by 20 NIHR-funded Cochrane Review Groups. Reviews carried out by the Eyes and Vision Group include:
	Excimer laser refractive surgery versus phakic intraocular lenses for the correction of moderate to high myopia;
	Photorefractive keratectomy versus laser assisted in situ keratomileusis for hyperopia correction; and
	Photorefractive keratectomy versus laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis for myopia.
	These reviews can be found on the Cochrane Library website at:
	www.thecochranelibrary.com/details/browseReviews/576735/Refractive-errors.html

Eyesight: Surgery

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to alert the general public to the potential risks involved in laser eye surgery;
	(2)  if he will consider the introduction of a legally enforceable minimum period between the issuing of patient consent to laser eye surgery and the operation.

Simon Burns: Information for the public on laser eye surgery, including information about risks associated with the procedure, has been published through NHS Choices.
	The Royal College of Ophthalmologists published a Patients' Guide to Excimer Laser Refractive Surgery alongside its updated standards for laser refractive surgery in July 2011.
	In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published Interventional Procedure Guidance in March 2006. This guidance sets out that clinicians undertaking photorefractive (laser) eye surgery should ensure that patients understand the benefits and potential risks of the procedure.
	The article on NHS Choices provides links to the guidance from both the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the National Institute's guidance.
	The General Medical Council published Good Medical Practice on 12 November 2006. This guidance describes what is expected of all doctors registered with the General Medical Council. It includes guidance on communicating the risks involved with treatment and that doctors must be satisfied that they have the consent or other valid authority before they provide treatment.
	The General Medical Council also published Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together on 2 June 2008, which draws attention to the need for allowing patients time to reflect before and after a decision is made.
	The Royal College's standards cover the consent process which should follow General Medical Council guidelines.
	In addition, all providers of regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 must be registered with the Care Quality Commission and meet the essential requirements of safety and quality.
	These requirements include a requirement to have suitable arrangements in place for obtaining, and acting in accordance with, the consent of service users in relation to the care and treatment provided for them.

Eyesight: Surgery

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what arrangements have been put in place for monitoring the performance of individual surgeons in undertaking laser eye surgery;
	(2)  if he will put in place arrangements for the publication annually of the success rates for individual surgeons of their performance of laser eye surgery;
	(3)  if he will reassess the standards of training, qualifications, experience and competence required by surgeons undertaking laser eye surgery.

Simon Burns: Corrective laser eye surgery is not carried out routinely on the national health service other than for exceptional clinical reasons and these will be very rare. Performance monitoring of individual surgeons in the independent sector and publication of results will be for the relevant provider within the context of professional and regulatory requirements.
	A doctor undertaking laser eye surgery must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). All doctors must work within the principles of 'Good Medical Practice', the standards that a doctor must meet to ensure their continued registration with the GMC.
	The standards state that in providing care you must recognise and work within the limits of your professional competence and be competent when making diagnoses and when giving or arranging treatment.
	The Royal College of Ophthalmologists published updated standards for laser refractive surgery in July 2011.
	The standards cover the appropriate experience and qualifications of surgeons performing laser refractive surgery.
	In addition, all providers of regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 must be registered with the Care Quality Commission and meet the essential requirements of safety and quality.
	The requirements include requirements for the provider to ensure they have the suitably qualified skilled and experienced staff necessary.

General Practitioners

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of how many extra GPs will be needed to compensate for time spent by existing GPs on the proposed new commissioning system; and what provision he plans to make for their recruitment and training.

Simon Burns: Under the proposed new commissioning system, the predominant focus of general practitioners (GPs) will continue, to be on providing high quality primary care to patients. The number of GPs actively involved in commissioning will depend on decisions made by individual GPs and by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). However, most day-to-day activities in support of commissioning are likely to be undertaken by staff employed by CCGs and by commissioning support services. A small number of GPs will hold leadership positions within CCGs. Each GP practice will have a GP or other health professional who represents the practice in dealings with the CCG. Other GPs may be involved in the clinical design of local services, building in some cases on existing GP involvement in practice-based commissioning.
	The number of GP trainees has increased in recent years and the Centre for Workforce Intelligence, the Government's independent advisory body on health care work force planning, recommends that England increases the number of entry level training posts by 450 to around 3,250, phased over the next four years.

General Practitioners

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of hours GPs will have to commit to commissioning work under the proposals in the Health and Social Care Bill.

Simon Burns: Under the proposed new commissioning system, the time spent by individual general practitioners (GPs) in relation to commissioning will depend on decisions made by GPs and by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). GPs' predominant focus will continue to be on providing high quality primary care to patients. Most day-to-day activities in support of commissioning are likely to be undertaken by staff employed by CCGs and by commissioning support services. A small number of GPs will hold leadership positions within CCGs. Each GP practice will have a GP or other health professional who represents the practice in dealings with the CCG. Other GPs may be involved in the clinical design of local services, building in some cases on existing GP involvement in practice-based commissioning.

General Practitioners: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from GPs in the London borough of Bexley on the Health and Social Care Bill.

Simon Burns: The Government have listened to a wide range of representations throughout the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, including from general practitioners (GPs).
	A search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database has been unable to identify any correspondence received since 12 January 2011 from GPs in the London borough of Bexley about the Health and Social Care Bill.

Gynaecology: Medical Treatments

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the (a) effects of the best practice tariffs for uterine fibroid embolisation and (b) other best practice tariffs in improving quality and best practice in the NHS;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the (a) cost-effectiveness and (b) invasiveness of uterine fibroid embolisation as a treatment for women diagnosed with fibroids.

Simon Burns: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published interventional procedures guidance on uterine artery embolisation for fibroids in November 2010. NICE interventional procedures guidance makes recommendations on whether procedures are sufficiently safe and efficacious for use in clinical practice, but does not provide guidance on whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of national health service resources. It is for the NHS to take account of NICE guidance when determining treatment options.
	A best practice tariff for uterine artery embolisation for fibroids was introduced in April 2011, with the aim of improving patient outcomes and experience by incentivising the use of this procedure where clinically appropriate.
	The Department's Payment by Results team have commissioned an evaluation of best practice tariffs introduced from April 2010. The evaluation will provide structured qualitative and quantitative information regarding the impact of best practice tariffs in order to evaluate the effectiveness of using the national tariff as a lever to improve clinical quality.
	The outcomes and recommendations of the evaluation are currently subject to peer review and we anticipate that these will be published in spring 2012. In advance of the publication, we can confirm that we are receiving positive feedback relating to how the best practice tariffs are helping to change existing practice and engage clinicians and managers.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of any change in the number of people waiting more than six weeks for diagnostic tests in south Birmingham; for what reasons any such change has taken place; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of patients waiting six weeks or longer for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests at the end of each month in the last three years at South Birmingham Primary Care Trust(PCT) 
			 Month Patients waiting six weeks or more Total patients waiting 
			 2009   
			 January 0 2,587 
			 February 0 2,543 
			 March 2 2,848 
			 April 10 2,825 
			 May 3 2,805 
		
	
	
		
			 June 2 2,769 
			 July 3 2,887 
			 August 4 2,640 
			 September 2 2,564 
			 October 5 2,882 
			 November 5 3,099 
			 December 6 2,817 
			    
			 2010   
			 January 9 2,996 
			 February 10 3,243 
			 March 8 3,325 
			 April 6 3,260 
			 May 36 3,307 
			 June 16 3,529 
			 July 0 3,622 
			 August 1 3,334 
			 September 4 3,173 
			 October 2 3,574 
			 November 4 3,336 
			 December 3 3,174 
			    
			 2011   
			 January 2 3,286 
			 February 4 3,569 
			 March 6 3,658 
			 April 1 3,363 
			 May 15 3,765 
			 June 0 3,840 
			 July 10 3,566 
			 August 18 3,521 
			 September 11 3,742 
			 October 13 3,759 
			 November 17 3,955 
			 December 22 3,305 
			    
			 2012   
			 January 48 3,964 
			 Source: Department of Health Unify2 data collection—DM01 
		
	
	At the end of January 2012, the number of patients waiting over six weeks for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests at South Birmingham PCT was 48 (1.2% of the total waiting list). Nationally, at the end of January 2012, 1.5% of patients were waiting six weeks or more for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to support (a) men, (b) women, (c) children and (d) older people with Crohn's disease.

Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is developing a clinical guideline for the treatment of Crohn's disease with publication expected in December 2012. We also .consulted last summer on a proposed library of NICE quality standards which would include a quality standard on Crohn's disease, and a final decision will be announced shortly.. Through the NHS Outcomes Framework we will be holding the national health service to account for improving the quality of life of people with long term conditions, including Crohn's disease.

Medical Equipment: EU Action

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has held with the European Commission on the potential effect of its proposed revision of medical device regulation on timely patient access to the full range of new and existing devices.

Simon Burns: Following the publication of a consultation on the proposed revision of the legal framework for medical devices in May 2008, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has worked closely with the European Commission to influence the proposals for the revision exercise. This has included formal and informal discussions and exchanges at both official and ministerial level; most recently the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), met with Commissioner Dalli in February 2012 to discuss aspects of the revision.
	The overall aim of the Government for the revision is to maintain the strengths of the existing regulatory system, of which rapid access to market for new devices is a key aspect, while addressing the acknowledged weaknesses in the system. These include improving the standard and consistency of Notified Bodies, enhancing vigilance and post-market safety surveillance systems, and improving the consistency of implementation of medical device legislation across the European Union.
	Following the recent concerns about PIP implants, the Under-Secretary of State for Health, my noble Friend Earl Howe, and Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, are leading reviews that may identify areas where improvements could be made to the regulatory system. The outcomes of these reviews will feed into ongoing discussions with the European Commission.

Mortality Rates

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people from Newark were certified dead upon arrival at the accident and emergency department of (a) the Queens Medical Centre, (b) Nottingham City Hospital, (c) Kingsmill Hospital, (d) Lincoln Hospital and (e) Grantham Hospital in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many people from Worksop were certified dead upon arrival at the accident and emergency department of (a) Bassetlaw District General, (b) Sheffield Hallam Hospital and (c) Doncaster Royal Infirmary in each of the last three years;
	(3)  how many people from Grantham were certified dead upon arrival at the accident and emergency department of (a) Grantham Hospital, (b) the Queens Medical Centre, (c) Nottingham City Hospital and (d) Lincoln Hospital in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: The data are not available in the format requested. However, data for all Dead on Arrival(1) ( )at accident and emergency (A&E)(2) from primary care trust (PCT) of residence(3) by hospital provider(4) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Hospital provider (A&E) PCT 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Nottinghamshire County 93 71 64 
			  Lincolnshire Teaching 0 0 * 
			      
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Nottinghamshire County 0 * * 
			  Lincolnshire Teaching 14 15 8 
			      
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Nottinghamshire County 61 81 30 
			      
			 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Bassetlaw 0 17 * 
			      
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Bassetlaw 0 0 0 
			 (1) Dead on Arrival are categorised under Patient group ("70 Brought in Dead"). Within this field, 95.3% of entries are valid records ie excluding ‘Not known’. However, the majority of these 14,575,503 (or 89.7% of all records) are classified as either ‘other accident’ or ‘other’. (2) A&E attendances include all attendances at major A&E departments, single specialty A&E departments, walk-in centres and minor injury units in England. It will not always represent the number of people attending A&E as one person may attend on several different occasions. (3) The strategic health authority (SHA) or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. (4) Hospital providers can also include, treatment centres (TC). Normally, if data is tabulated by healthcare provider, the figure for an NHS trust gives the activity of all the sites as one aggregated figure. However, in the case of those with embedded TC, this data is quoted separately. In these cases, '-X' is appended to the code for the rest of the trust, to remind users that the figures are for all sites of the trust excluding the treatment centres. The quality of TC returns are such that data may not be complete. Some NHS trusts have not registered their TC as a separate site, and it is therefore not possible to identify their activity separately. Data from some independent sector providers, where the onus for arrangement of dataflows is on the commissioner, may be missing. Care must be taken when using this data as the counts may be lower than true figures. Notes: 1. Data Quality It should be noted that the Department is the official source of A&E statistics through Quarterly Monitoring of Accident and Emergency (QMAE). While QMAE remains the official source of A&E attendance numbers and four hour wait target information, A&E HES is able to offer more detailed analysis. A&E HES coverage (74% of the QMAE attendances) has improved since the first publication of these experimental statistics in 2007-08 (62%), aligning more closely to QMAE data. 2. Small Numbers To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been replaced with “*” (an asterisk). Where it was still possible to identify numbers from the total an additional number (the next smallest) has been replaced. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Mortality Rates: East Midlands

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mortality rate was of (a) patients from Newark admitted to (i) the Queens Medical Centre, (ii) Nottingham City Hospital, (iii) Kingsmill Hospital, (iv) Lincoln Hospital and (v) Grantham Hospital, (b) patients from Worksop admitted to (i) Bassetlaw District General, (ii) Sheffield Hallam Hospital and (iii) Doncaster Royal Infirmary and (c) patients from Grantham admitted to (i) Grantham Hospital, (ii) the Queens Medical Centre, (iii) Nottingham City Hospital and (iv) Lincoln Hospital.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not held by the Department.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure adequate protection for whistleblowers in the NHS.

Anne Milton: A number of measures have already been undertaken by this Government, which are designed to provide support to whistleblowers. Guidance has been issued to national health service employing organisations providing advice on whistleblowing policies. A new contractual right to raise concerns has been implemented, with accompanying guidance explaining that all contracts of employment should cover this right.
	On 11 January the Chief Executive of the NHS wrote to all NHS bodies to remind them of their obligations under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA) and the support organisations should offer staff seeking to raise concerns in the public interest.
	Changes to the NHS constitution in respect of whistleblowing were also published on 8 March, along with a written ministerial statement given by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), Official Report, column 71W.
	The Department has recontracted for the provision of an independent whistleblowing helpline for NHS and social care staff. Should workers be unsure of how to raise concerns or what protections they would receive, through PIDA, individuals can call the advice line and receive free legal advice.
	We are continuing to explore options for further measures to support whistleblowers in the NHS.

NHS: Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average pay increase received by each individual in the NHS was in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: This information could be collected only at a disproportionate cost. Information on the national pay increases to basic pay for the last three years for NHS Very Senior Managers, NHS Medical staff and NHS non-medical staff employed under Agenda for Change is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS Very Senior Managers Medical staff Agenda for Change non-medical staff 
			 2009-10 1.5% no change to bonus pot 1.5% 2.4% 
			     
			 2010-11 0% 0% consultants 2.25% (basic uplift) 
		
	
	
		
			  — Foundation house officer 1s and 2s 1% — 
			  — Foundation house officer 1s in unhanded posts received a supplement of 5% in addition to basic salary — 
			  — 1% other grades — 
			     
			 2011-12 0% Pay freeze An uplift of £250 to Agenda for Change spine points 1-15 
		
	
	In addition to any increase in basic pay, medical staff and Agenda for Change staff have incremental progression. Consultants may also receive Clinical Excellence Awards. At the end of each financial year Very Senior Managers are considered for a non-consolidated bonus payment.

NHS: Private Sector

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2012, Official Report, column 721W, on the NHS: private sector, what comparative cost-benefit analysis his Department has carried out on (a) an NHS provider providing a service meeting NHS prices or tariffs and directing any profit back into the NHS and (b) a private sector provider providing a service meeting NHS prices or tariffs and taking any profit out of the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Government are not proposing to increase the proportion of national health service services delivered by private providers and have not, therefore, undertaken any analysis to that end.

Obesity

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to encourage people to maintain a healthy weight through healthy eating and exercise.

Anne Milton: In October 2011, the Government published “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call to action on obesity in England”, which sets out how obesity among children and adults will be tackled in the new public health and NHS systems. The document also sets out details of two new national ambitions for reversing the trend in the level of excess weight in children and adults by 2020. A copy of the “Call to action” has been already placed in the Library.
	The Government are taking action to support progress towards these ambitions, for example through:
	Change4Life, which aims to inspire a social movement to prevent people becoming overweight and obese. Current and planned projects for Change4Life are detailed within the Change4Life Social Marketing Strategy, published on 13 October, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library;
	The Public Health Responsibility Deal. Its Food Network has recently agreed the terms of a calorie reduction pledge under which companies can make commitments to support and enable their customers to eat and drink fewer calories in order to help them maintain a healthy weight; and
	Supporting the commitment to achieve a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, through significant investment in the School Games and Change4Life Clubs in schools. There will also be a Change4Life campaign in summer 2012 promoting healthy, active lifestyles in the context of the games.

Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on capital funding for Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup.

Simon Burns: A search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database has been unable to identify any correspondence received specifically relating to this subject. This represents correspondence received by the Department's central correspondence team only.
	Proposals and a strategic outline case for a health and well-being campus at Queen Mary's, Sidcup were submitted to NHS London in October 2011. Since then local clinicians, commissioners, London borough of Bexley and South London Healthcare NHS Trust have been working to further develop these plans.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and what estimate he has made of the likely savings in each case.

Simon Burns: Information on the likely savings to those affected by each of the regulations revoked between 1 June 2011 and 31 January is not held centrally, therefore to provide an estimate could be achieved only at disproportionate cost to the Department.

Tobacco: Packaging

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that respondents to his Department's consultation on plain packaging for tobacco products declare any funding from the (a) Government and (b) pharmaceutical industry;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that respondents to his Department's consultation on plain packaging for tobacco products declare (a) organisational membership of anti-smoking pressure groups, (b) organisational funding from ASH and other anti-smoking pressure groups, (c) contracts for providing services to or receiving fees from anti-smoking pressure groups and (d) responses generated through campaigns funded directly or indirectly by anti-smoking pressure groups.

Anne Milton: As set out in Chapter 10 of ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England’, to fulfil our obligations as a party to the World Health Organisation's framework convention on tobacco control, we will be asking all respondents to consultation exercises on tobacco control measures run by the Department to disclose any links with, or funding received from, the tobacco industry. We would encourage all respondents to provide an answer to this question in the interests of transparency. There will be a free-text response box for respondents to describe the nature of their link with the tobacco industry where relevant.
	However, where a response to a consultation is made on behalf of an organisation or business, respondents will be asked to indicate the nature of their business or organisation in order that the Department can better understand their views and the views of different groups.
	The only required information for consultation responses will be the respondent's name and contact details. This information is requested so that the Department can contact the respondent if further clarification of their response is needed.
	A copy of the Tobacco Control Plan has already been placed in the Library.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Sequestration

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential for industrial and power carbon capture and storage clusters in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

Charles Hendry: The Government have supported a number of studies into CCS cluster development in England, both directly and indirectly. Similar work in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would be funded through the appropriate devolved Administration.

Carbon Sequestration

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he intends to bring forward a strategy for the development of carbon capture and storage.

Charles Hendry: The Government remain firmly committed to supporting the commercialisation of CCS and there are a number of promising projects proposed in the UK.
	We will publish a CCS Roadmap and launch a streamlined selection process for future CCS projects in the coming weeks.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Sequestration

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of progress on the Coalition Agreement commitment to continue public sector investment in carbon capture and storage technology for four coal-fired power stations.

Charles Hendry: The coalition commitment still stands. The Department will be publishing a CCS Roadmap shortly, which will assess progress in the development of CCS for both the power and industrial sectors.
	Following the decision on the Longannet project last October, the £l billion committed by the Government remains available for the CCS programme. We will launch a streamlined selection process for future CCS projects alongside publication of the Roadmap in the coming weeks. The number of projects to be supported out of the new competition will depend on the proposals received and the assessment of which project or projects best meet the selection criteria.

Electricity: Prices

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the electricity cost differential for energy intensive industries in the UK to France and Germany; and if he will publish any such assessment.

Charles Hendry: DECC publishes Eurostat data on the electricity prices paid by industrial users of various sizes in the EU 15 in its Quarterly Energy Prices publication, available online at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/prices/prices.aspx
	UK electricity prices (inc. taxes) for extra large(1) industrial users are higher than those of France and have been lower than those of Germany since the period January to June 2010 (see table).
	(1) Extra large industrial electricity users are defined as those consuming 70,000 MWh to 150,000 MWh of electricity per year. Many UK energy intensive users are above this threshold for electricity. Data for users that consume more than 150,000 MWh a year of electricity is available on the Eurostat website at:
	http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/energy/data/database
	but only for a limited number of countries (including the UK but not France and Germany). It is therefore unclear whether the same comparison in the table, which applies to users up to the 150,000 MWh threshold will apply to larger users.
	
		
			 Average industrial electricity prices for extra large consumers (including taxes), p/kWh 
			  July to December 2007 January to June 2008 July to December 2008 January to June 2009 July to December 2009 January to June 2010 July to December 2010 January to June 2011 
			 UK 5.88 6.82 8.13 8.74 7.71 7.06 6.70 7.24 
			 Germany 5.72 6.66 6.98 7.84 7.64 7.17 7.64 8.79 
			 France 3.50 4.68 4.42 5.43 4.77 5.40 4.62 5.48 
		
	
	On 12 March, the Government launched a call for evidence on the impact of electricity costs on Energy Intensive Industries in the UK to inform implementation of the package of measures announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne’s), autumn statement for these industries. Available online at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/business-sectors/low-carbon-business-opportunities/energy-intensive-industries

Energy Supply

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of progress on the Coalition Agreement commitment to instruct Ofgem to establish a security guarantee of energy supplies.

Charles Hendry: Since the formation of the coalition, the Government have made excellent progress towards improving the future security of energy supplies, including the commitment in the coalition agreement.
	In terms of electricity security, the Energy Act 2011 introduced a requirement for Ofgem to assess future supply of, and demand for, electricity and report to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), annually before 1 September 2012. It will cover the period of each of the four calendar years following publication of the report. The Secretary of State is then required to publish his assessment of the capacity needed to meet electricity demand in Great Britain.
	In addition, the Government have committed to legislate to introduce a capacity mechanism, in the form of a Capacity Market, to ensure we have adequate levels of reliable capacity in the future.
	In terms of gas security, the Energy Act 2011 conferred on Ofgem a power to sharpen the commercial incentives on gas market participants to reduce the likelihood, duration or severity of a gas supply emergency.
	Ofgem is now considering potential use of the power through their ongoing Gas Security Significant Code Review. DECC has also asked Ofgem to consider the case for further measures to ensure the security of our gas supplies, and asked them to produce a report by May 2012.

Energy: Billing

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households that have been back-billed by their energy supplier in each of the last five years.

Charles Hendry: DECC does not hold any information on customers who have been back billed by their energy supplier.
	Since 2007, energy suppliers have not been able to require payment beyond a year from the date of a subsequent bill if they are at fault for not billing a domestic customer.

Energy: Billing

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many investigations Ofgem has undertaken on back-billing of (a) domestic customers and (b) small businesses by energy suppliers in each of the last 10 years.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem has not undertaken a formal investigation specifically about back billing of domestic or non domestic customers.
	Since 2007, energy suppliers have not been able to require payment beyond a year from the date of a subsequent bill if they are at fault for not billing their domestic customers.
	Following receipt of evidence from consumer groups on the behaviour of suppliers on back billing in the non domestic sector over the last year, Ofgem asked the industry to develop a set of self-regulatory standards to address these issues. The standards are due to come into effect in April this year and Ofgem will monitor their effect. In addition, Ofgem plan to carry out further analysis of the impact of limiting the back billing period where a supplier is at fault.

Energy: Billing

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many complaints Ofgem has received from small businesses in relation to back-billing by energy suppliers in each of the last 10 years.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem does not deal with individual consumer complaints. Over the last year Ofgem has received evidence, through complaints dealt with by Consumer Direct and Consumer Focus, together with information provided by business representative organisations, relating to back billing of business customers.

Energy: International Cooperation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of progress on the development of a European supergrid.

Charles Hendry: The term “supergrid” is used to refer to a number of different visions, ranging from a more integrated offshore grid in the seas around the UK, to a network of large interconnectors linking low carbon generation with centres of demand across the EU. The Government are engaged in a number of work programmes which are looking at the issues raised by such developments. We are considering the costs, benefits and technical challenges of a more integrated offshore grid in the north and Irish seas, as part of the North Seas Countries' Offshore Grid Initiative, which was launched in December 2010. A similar assessment is being made of transmission and generation developments which might facilitate the cost-effective exploitation of the renewables potential of the British Islands and Ireland under the All Islands Approach, which was agreed at the British Irish Council summit in June 2011. The initial results of this work are expected in early 2013.
	At the UK-Nordic-Baltic summit in January 2011 the Prime Minister launched an initiative to promote low-carbon growth across the region. Further interconnection, possibly linking renewable energy sources, is a key component of this vision. The Government welcomes the many interconnection projects which developers are currently investigating with countries such as Norway, Iceland and France. Such interconnections would be an important element in the modular development of any future European “supergrid”. And late last year the Commission published proposals for a regulation to facilitate investment in priority energy infrastructure across the EU, including an offshore grid in the North, Irish and Baltic seas and the first electricity “highways”, designed to transmit high-voltage power over long distances to link up low-carbon energy sources. Any developments are likely to take place in an incremental manner over a period of years.

Energy: Prices

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of energy to high-energy firms in the UK; and what comparison he has made with similar costs in (a) Germany, (b) France, (c) the US, (d) China, (e) Brazil and (f) Japan.

Charles Hendry: DECC publishes energy prices data for the UK and other EU 15 and G7 countries from Eurostat (for various size-bands) and the IEA (average industrial prices) in its “Quarterly Energy Prices” publication, available online at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/prices/prices.aspx
	Comparisons using this data show average UK gas prices (inc. taxes) for industrial users in 2010 were higher than those of the US but below those of Germany, France and Brazil(1). Gas price data for Japan is unavailable for the period 2008-10 but average Japanese gas prices for industrial users have historically been higher than the UK's. Average UK electricity prices (inc. taxes) for industrial users in 2010 were higher than those for the US and France but lower than those for Germany, Japan and Brazil. Consistent gas and electricity price data for industrial users in China are currently unavailable.
	(1) Brazil data are not published in Quarterly Energy Prices but are available directly via the IEA's Energy Prices and Taxes publication, which includes data for 2011.
	On 12 March, the Government launched a call for evidence on the impact of electricity costs on Energy Intensive Industries in the UK to inform implementation of the package of measures announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne’s), autumn statement for these industries. Available online at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/business-sectors/low-carbon-business-opportunities/energy-intensive-industries

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the level of additional resource allocated by the nuclear regulators for nuclear safety reassessments following the nuclear accident at Fukushima in March last year; and whether any such expenditure has been recovered from nuclear operators.

Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	On 14 March 2011, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change asked HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations to examine the circumstances of the Fukushima accident to see what lessons could be learnt to enhance the safety of the UK nuclear industry. Subsequently, on 24 March 2011, the European Council (EC) requested a review of safety at all European nuclear power plants, known as the Stress Tests.
	As a result, resources were re-prioritised, within the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) for post Fukushima nuclear safety related work, which included applying the Stress Test process to all UK licensed nuclear installations.
	Following the accident at Fukushima the Office for Nuclear Regulation provided authoritative advice on nuclear aspects throughout the crisis and utilised resources to look at the lessons learned from the accident. This included the reprioritisation of staff to work with the industry to reassess safety arrangements. It is estimated that since the incident, the resources utilised amount to the equivalent of 11.5 staff years. (Total staffing within ONR is c.450) Costs for such activity are recovered from the industry through HSE's normal cost recovery processes.

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on proposals put to site stakeholder groups at civil nuclear sites to extend nuclear accident evacuation zones at UK nuclear installations following the accident at Fukushima in March 2011.

Charles Hendry: DECC does not hold information on proposals put to site stakeholder groups at civil nuclear sites.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he next plans to meet the European Commission to discuss draft EU regulations on the offshore safety regime.

Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), spoke to the Energy Commissioner about this and other issues on 28 February. They have agreed to meet as soon as is convenient for further discussions but as yet no date has been set.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and what estimate he has made of the likely savings in each case.

Charles Hendry: Between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012 the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) repealed the following:
	Exemption orders under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. These are set out as follows:
	The Radioactive Substances (Exhibitions) Exemption Order 1962
	The Radioactive Substances (Phosphatic Substances, Rare Earths etc.) Exemption Order 1962
	The Radioactive Substances (Lead) Exemption Order 1962
	The Radioactive Substances (Uranium and Thorium) Exemption Order 1962
	The Radioactive Substances (Prepared Uranium and Thorium Compounds) Exemption Order 1962
	The Radioactive Substances (Geological Specimens) Exemption Order 1962
	The Radioactive Substances (Waste Closed Sources) Exemption Order 1963
	The Radioactive Substances (Schools etc.) Exemption Order 1963
	The Radioactive Substances (Precipitated Phosphate) Exemption Order 1963
	The Radioactive Substances (Electronic Valves) Exemption Order 1967
	The Radioactive Substances (Smoke Detectors) Exemption Order 1980
	The Radioactive Substances (Gaseous Tritium Light Devices) Exemption Order 1985
	The Radioactive Substances (Luminous Articles) Exemption Order 1985
	The Radioactive Substances (Substances of Low Activity) Exemption Order 1986
	The Radioactive Substances (Hospitals) Exemption Order 1990
	The Radioactive Substances (Smoke Detectors) Exemption (Amendment) Order 1991
	The Radioactive Substances (Substances of Low Activity) Exemption (Amendment) Order 1992
	The Radioactive Substances (Hospitals) Exemption (Amendment) Order 1995
	The Radioactive Substances (Clocks and Watches) (England and Wales) Regulations 2001
	The Radioactive Substances (Natural Gas) Exemption Order 2002
	The Radioactive Substances (Testing Instruments) Exemption (England and Wales) Order 2006
	These regulations were repealed by the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Amendment Regulations 2011. This secondary legislation saved business £1.1 million, as validated by the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC).
	Within the specified period, DECC also repealed the following regulation with minimal or no identifiable savings:
	Regulation 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations. This secondary legislation was repealed by the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Nitrous Oxide) Regulations 2011
	The following primary legislation with minimal or no identifiable savings will be repealed by the Energy Act 2011 when the relevant provisions come into force.
	Section 217 of the Housing Act 2004
	Section 1e of the Sustainability Act 2003
	Section 2 of the Sustainability Act 2003
	Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 in respect of Scotland and Wales
	We are continuing our efforts to identify opportunities to eliminate any unnecessary burdensome regulation via the Department's Energy themed 'Red Tape Challenge'.
	In addition to these repeals, DECC also saved business an additional £1.4 million by amending existing regulations by:
	Raising the threshold for energy supplier participation in the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). This brought about significant benefits for smaller suppliers
	Reforming current legislation on third party access to upstream petroleum infrastructure. These changes will facilitate timely development of oil and gas resources
	These measures were included in DECC's second Statement of New Regulation.

Renewable Energy

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will undertake an audit of the total level of generating capacity of each type of renewable energy in each parliamentary constituency.

Charles Hendry: In order to meet our 2020 renewable energy target, we will need to boost deployment across the UK. The Renewable Energy Roadmap (published July 2011) sets out a UK-wide targeted plan of actions for eight key technologies in order to meet our renewable energy target.
	There are no plans to undertake an audit of the total level of generating capacity of each type of renewable energy in each parliamentary constituency. However, information on the current installed renewable energy generating capacity (as well as projects in planning and in construction) for each region in the UK can be found on the DECC website:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/welcome-to-the-restats-web-site
	In addition, to help ensure a robust evidence base to support the deployment of renewable energy, DECC published a renewable and low-carbon capacity assessment methodology in October 2010. The evidence produced by applying the methodology will help to support local authorities and communities to make the most of opportunities for renewable energy deployment in their areas.

Renewable Energy: EU Action

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met the European Commissioner for Energy to discuss the NER 300 programme.

Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has not yet met Commissioner Oettinger since taking up post. They have spoken by telephone, but not about the NER as the commissioner does not have direct responsibility for the NER 300 programme.
	DECC Ministers and officials are in regular contact with their counterparts in the European Commission on a range of issues, including the NER 300 programme.

Wind Power

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the proportion of wind turbines that have auxiliary power installed to assist with their operation; and if he will estimate the proportion of those auxiliary power supplies that are provided by diesel engines.

Charles Hendry: Only genuine renewable electricity generation will be subsidised through either the Renewables Obligation or Feed-in Tariffs mechanism and count towards meeting our renewable energy target.
	It is for renewable energy companies to choose the most appropriate turbine models for individual sites.

Wind Power

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of switching wind turbines off due to high wind.

Charles Hendry: The Government have commissioned estimates of the overall levelised costs of wind as reported in Arup (2011):
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_ro_review/cons_ro_review.aspx
	These are based on assumed average load factors which take into account periods when wind turbines do not generate including due to high winds. Beyond this, the costs of switching off wind turbines fall to scheme owners and so therefore does the task of estimating them.
	The Renewables Obligation (RO) and Feed in Tariff (FIT) are the Government's main instruments for incentivising renewable electricity. Both are generation-based subsidies meaning support is granted for each unit of electricity actually generated. A wind farm will therefore only receive support when it generates.

JUSTICE

Alternatives to Prison: Wales

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to extend the Intensive Alternative to Custody pilot schemes in South Wales and Dyfed-Powys to other parts of Wales.

Crispin Blunt: The Intensive Alternatives to Custody (IAC) pilot programme ran from 2008-09 to 2010-11. Since the pilot ended Wales Probation have mainstreamed provision of IAC across all local delivery units in Wales. IAC remains available as a sentencing option for all criminal courts in Wales and this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future.

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Convictions

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted in a UK court for counterfeiting offences involving the euro in each of the last 10 years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of offenders convicted at all courts in England and Wales for offences under the Protection of the Euro Against Counterfeiting Regulations 2001, in each year between their commencement on 1 January 2002 and 2010 (latest currently available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Data relating to offences of counterfeiting collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice and held on the Court Proceedings Database do not enable those counterfeiting offences relating to euro currency to be separately identified from those involving other currencies.
	Offences committed in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Office respectively.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
	
		
			 Offenders (1)  found guilty at all courts in England and Wales of offences under the Protection of the Euro Against Counterfeiting Regulations 2001 (2)  in each year between 2001 and 2010 (3) —England and Wales 
			 Offenders 
			  2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 (4) 2009 2010 
			 Offenders found guilty n/a 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) The Protection of the Euro Against Counterfeiting Regulations came into force on 1 January 2002. It includes the following offences: Failure to withdraw from circulation a euro note or coin which is believed to be counterfeit, and Failure to hand over a euro note or coin received believing it to be counterfeit. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April. July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice.

Courts: Video Recordings

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what safeguards he plans to put in place to ensure that filming of court proceedings presents balanced reporting.

Kenneth Clarke: I will not permit our courts to become theatre. Victims, witnesses, defendants and jurors will not be filmed, and existing reporting restrictions will apply. The judge will always have discretion to stop filming in each case.

Departmental Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of food procured by his Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) procures in accordance with UK and EU legislation and supports the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in achieving compliance with the Government Buying Standards (GBS) for Food and Catering. The Department's suppliers are obligated to source in line with DEFRA policy on GBS subject to no overall increase in costs and meeting UK or equivalent standards of production to ensure supply achieves value for money.
	(a) In line with the GBS Food and Catering Services overarching commitments:
	1. Production standards—100% of food procured by the Department meets UK or equivalent standards of production.
	2. Origin of meat and dairy—in line with the industry principles on country of origin information, food and catering suppliers are able to indicate the origin of all meat, meat products and dairy products when the information is requested by the consumer.
	Examples where the Department has achieved the mandatory food and catering services standards subject to no overall increase in costs or where there is a legal requirement to do so include the following:
	(1) Animal welfare: 100% of eggs (in shell) sourced from systems that do not use conventional cages. If from a caged system, enriched cages are used.
	(2) Fish: 100% seafood procured compliant with sustainability standards indicated by Marine Conservation Society's or Marine Stewardship Councils list of fish to eat.
	(3) Recycling: There is a mandatory agreement for prisons which account for 99.6% of direct food spend within the Department for the disposal of waste oils and fats through the controlled waste regulations.
	(4) All new contracts are tendered to reflect GBS policy where possible, subject to no overall increase in costs and meeting UK or equivalent standards of production.
	(b) The Department and its contractors continue to look for opportunities to enable domestic producers to compete for supply contracts while seeking to achieve value for money. The Department encourages its suppliers to procure food from UK producers where possible.
	The proportion of food (by value) purchased by MoJ NOMS that was produced in the UK for the financial year 2010-11 is 44% which is equivalent to £20 million per annum.
	Notes
	1. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) covers MOJ HQ and Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) for contracted out food service provision. Figures for 2010-11 are currently not available due to the contract being awarded in late 2010. Consolidated figures for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are due to be completed at the end of this financial year.
	2. National Offender Management Services figures relate to the actual percentage of spend (value) on direct food costs for providing food to the prison population in England and Wales.

Drugs: Illegal

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisons have been free from the use of illegal drugs for a 12 month period in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Very high numbers report a drug problem prior to prison, 71% or prisoners had used drugs prior to custody and 55% of new prisoners report having a serious drug problem. Potentially this creates a significant demand for drugs in prison.
	Prisons have achieved considerable success in reducing the level of drug misuse against a background of a continuing high demand for drugs. Drug misuse as measured by random mandatory drug testing (MDT) has fallen 71% since 1996-97.
	MDT, which runs to standardised procedures across prisons, has three main aims, one of which is to supply detailed information on patterns of drugs-misuse in prisons and is used by the National Offender Management Service to measure the level of drug misuse in prisons.
	A single episode of drug misuse over a defined period, strictly interpreted, would deprive a prison of drug free status. Prisons can perform very well in keeping drugs out of prison but technically not be drug free. Over the 2010-11 financial year, two prisons in England and Wales reported no drug misuse as measured by random MDT.
	The following list demonstrates that 101 prisons in England and Wales reported no drug misuse, as measured by random MDT, in at least one month of the 2010-11 financial year.
	Prisons that recorded no positive random MDT results in at least one month in 2010-11.
	Albany
	Ashfield
	Ashwell
	Askham Grange
	Aylesbury
	Bedford
	Blantyre House
	Blundeston
	Brinsford
	Bronzefield
	Buckley Hall
	Bullwood Hall
	Bure
	Camp Hill
	Canterbury
	Cardiff
	Castington
	Chelmsford
	Coldingley
	Dartmoor
	Deerbolt
	Dorchester
	Downview
	Drake Hall
	East Sutton Park
	Edmonds Hill
	Erlestoke
	Everthorpe
	Exeter
	Featherstone
	Feltham
	Foston Hall
	Frankland
	Full Sutton
	Garth
	Gartree
	Glen Parva
	Gloucester
	Grendon
	Haverigg
	High Down
	Highpoint
	Hindley
	Hollesley Bay
	Holloway
	Huntercombe
	Isis
	Kennet
	Kingston
	Kirkham
	Kirklevington
	Lancaster
	Lancaster Farms
	Latchmere House
	Lewes
	Leyhill
	Littlehey
	Long Lartin
	Low Newton
	Maidstone
	Moorland
	Moorland Open
	Morton Hall
	Mount
	New Hall
	North Sea Camp
	Northallerton
	Norwich
	Onley
	Pare
	Parkhurst
	Peterborough Female
	Portland
	Preston
	Reading
	Risley
	Rochester
	Rye Hill
	Send
	Shepton Mallet
	Shewsbury
	Spring Hill
	Stafford
	Standford Hill
	Stocken
	Stoke Heath
	Styal
	Sudbury
	Swaleside
	Swinfen Hall
	Thorn Cross
	Usk/Prescoed
	Verne
	Wakefield
	Warren Hill
	Werrington
	Wetherby
	Whatton
	Whitemoor
	Winchester
	Wymott
	The preceding list has been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.

Drugs: Testing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the longest period is that someone on a drug rehabilitation requirement has gone without having a drugs test in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many scheduled drugs tests did not take place for people on drug rehabilitation requirements in each of the last three years;
	(3)  what proportion of people serving a drug rehabilitation requirement, who failed (a) one drug test, (b) two drug tests, (c) three drug tests and (d) four or more drug tests were sent to prison in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the longest period without someone on a drug rehabilitation requirement having a drugs test, the number of scheduled drug tests that did not take place, and the proportion of people serving a drug rehabilitation requirement who fail a drug test and are sent to prison is not held centrally. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by retrieving, analysing and collating data held locally on offender records and local data systems.

European Court of Human Rights

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on implementing decisions of the European Court of Human Rights applicable to the UK.

Jonathan Djanogly: The UK is a party to the European Convention on Human Rights and is obliged to comply with judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) as a matter of international law. Article 46(1) of the Convention, states: “The High Contracting Parties undertake to abide by the final judgment of the Court in any case to which they are parties”.

Fraud: EU Law

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the UK has enacted the provisions of EU Council Framework Decision 2001/413/JHA of 28 May 2001, on combating fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash means of payment; and what evaluation has been made of the effectiveness of the Decision in reducing fraud.

Kenneth Clarke: The provisions of EU council Framework Decision 2001/413/JHA of 28 May 2001 on combating fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash means of payment have been implemented in UK law.
	The Government have not made any assessment of the effectiveness of the Framework Decision.

Knives: Crime

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many reported incidents of crime involving a knife there were in (a) Leeds North West constituency, (b) the city of Leeds and (c) England in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of such knife crime.

Nick Herbert: Data for selected offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument are collected by the Home Office at police force area level only, so data are not available for Leeds North West constituency or the city of Leeds. Data for these selected offences are provided for West Yorkshire police force as well as England in the table.
	Data for 2007-08 are not comparable with those shown for later years due to an expansion in the number of offences covered. In 2007-08 the offences covered are homicide, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, GBH without intent and robbery. In 2008-09 the coverage was expanded to include actual bodily harm (ABH), threats to kill, sexual assault and rape offences.
	Knife crime is wholly unacceptable. It causes misery for victims and is often connected to the kind of gang violence that can wreck whole communities.
	We will ensure an effective response to knife crime: the Government's position is clear; any adult who commits a crime using a knife can expect to be sent to prison and serious offenders can expect a long sentence; and, for young offenders, imprisonment is always available and will also be appropriate for serious offences.
	The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill currently in the Lords includes a new offence of carrying a knife or offensive weapon in a public place or school if it is then used to threaten and endanger another with a minimum mandatory sentence for over 18 years old of six months, and a four months Detention and Training Order for those aged 16 and 17. If passed, this will send a clear message to those who possess a knife to threaten and endanger that they can expect to face prison.
	
		
			 Table A: Number of selected violent and sexual offences (1)  involving a knife or sharp instrument recorded by West Yorkshire police force and police forces in England, 2007-08 to 2010-11 
			 Area 2007-08 (2) 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 West Yorkshire 941 1,303 1,335 1,322 
			 England(3) 24,620 35,296 32,964 31,972 
			 England (excl. West Midlands)(4) 21,416 31,562 29,727 28,928 
			 (1) Police recorded knife and sharp instrument offences data are submitted via an additional special collection. Other offences exist that are not shown in this table that may include the use of a knife or sharp instrument. (2) The collection was expanded in 2008-09 to also include actual bodily harm (ABH), threats to kill, sexual assault and rape offences. Therefore figures are not comparable with those offences recorded in 2007-08. (3) Figures for England include unbroken bottle and glass offences, which are outside the scope of this special collection, for Surrey and Sussex police. As such, data for these forces are not directly comparable to data for other forces. (4) Data are shown excluding West Midlands as West Midlands included unbroken bottle and glass offences in their returns until April 2010 but now exclude these offences in line with other forces. As such, their 2010-11 data are not comparable with their data for earlier years. Note: Homicide figures as at 18 October 2011; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to answer the letter sent to the Attorney-General by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 26 January, with regard to Mr J. Crain, and transferred to his Department.

Kenneth Clarke: The letter was wrongly addressed to the Attorney-General. I have now replied.

Prisons: Employment

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to enable prisoners to work.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 March 2012, Official Report; column 119, by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke).

Prisons: Visits

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the purpose of the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme is;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the benefits to the public of financially assisting the spouses of convicted criminals to visit them in prison;
	(3) what the cost to the public purse was of the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: The Assisted Prison Visits Scheme provides financial help with travel expenses to prisoners' close relatives and partners who are on a defined benefit and receive a low income. The scheme’s purpose is to contribute to reducing reoffending and resettlement strategies by helping to ensure that family ties are maintained. The Ministry of Justice (Mo J) actively encourage prisoners to maintain outside contacts and meaningful family ties. Visits are crucial to sustaining relationships with close relatives, partners and friends.
	The MoJ Resettlement Survey 2008 showed that offenders could be 39% less likely to reoffend if they had family visits while in custody. Lord Justice Woolf’s report of 1991 made a recommendation that prisoners should have better prospects of maintaining their links with families through more visits and in his follow-up report exactly 10 years later makes specific reference to Assisted Prisons Visits and described it as “admirable”.
	A recent report commissioned by the EU entitled ‘Children of Imprisoned Parents’ highlighted the importance of providing financial assistance to families of prisoners.
	The cost of the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme in the last three financial years was:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2010-11 2,201,000 
			 2009-10 2,343,000 
			 2008-09 2,171,000

Stalking

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many victims of stalking have been interviewed by members of the Death and Violence Team in his Department in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what the functions and duties are of his Department's Death and Violence Team.

Crispin Blunt: The Criminal Law and Legal Policy Unit, including the Death and Violence Team, advise Ministers in relation to various aspects of civil and criminal law policy including homicide and offences against the person.
	The Ministry of Justice does not ‘interview’ victims of any criminal offences; officials do however attend meetings and workshops at which victims’ interests and views are shared, as well as those of other stakeholders. In relation to stalking there has also been a recent Government consultation on how we can protect victims of stalking more effectively. We have been looking carefully at the responses to that consultation—many of which were submitted by victims and groups that represent their interests. As a result of the consultation, we have introduced provisions to create two new offences, one of stalking and one of stalking with fear of violence, and have committed to providing better training for the police and probation service and courts, to make sure that stalking is taken seriously.

Young Offenders: Wales

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many juvenile offenders from each local authority area in Wales have been held in a (a) secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) young offender institution in each month since May 2005.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of juvenile offenders (aged 10 to 17) either sentenced or remanded in custody attached to Welsh Youth Offending Teams who have been held in a (a) secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) under 18 young offender institution by month from May 2005 to December 2011. This is based upon monthly snapshot data. Therefore one young person who is serving more than one month in custody may be shown in more than one month in the table. Data from April 2011 onwards are provisional and will be finalised when the 2011-12 Annual Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013.
	These data have been provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The YJB does not hold data at local authority level. However, it does hold data down to youth offending team area, some of which cover more than one local authority area.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.
	
		
			 Table 1: Young people in custody attached to Welsh Youth Offending Teams by establishment type, May 2005 - December 2011. 
			  Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly Bridgend Cardiff 
			 Month SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI 
			 2005          
			 May 3 0 5 0 0 5 2 5 26 
			 Jun 3 0 4 0 0 9 2 4 27 
			 Jul 3 0 9 0 0 14 2 4 26 
			 Aug 3 0 9 0 0 12 1 2 21 
			 Sep 4 0 9 0 0 10 1 0 19 
			 Oct 3 0 6 0 0 8 1 0 20 
			 Nov 2 0 8 0 0 5 3 0 23 
			 Dec 2 0 8 0 0 5 3 0 17 
			           
		
	
	
		
			 2006          
			 Jan 2 0 8 0 0 5 4 0 21 
			 Feb 1 0 6 0 0 4 4 1 18 
			 Mar 1 0 8 0 0 5 5 1 17 
			 Apr 2 1 6 0 0 4 5 1 19 
			 May 3 1 5 0 0 3 3 1 23 
			 Jun 3 1 11 0 0 4 3 1 27 
			 Jul 3 1 13 0 1 6 3 2 21 
			 Aug 3 1 13 0 0 9 2 2 22 
			 Sep 2 1 12 1 0 8 2 3 27 
			 Oct 2 1 6 1 1 12 1 3 26 
			 Nov 3 1 10 1 1 10 0 3 25 
			 Dec 3 1 6 1 1 6 1 2 19 
			           
			 2007          
			 Jan 2 1 4 1 0 8 1 2 26 
			 Feb 2 0 6 1 0 7 1 1 30 
			 Mar 2 0 6 1 0 8 1 1 28 
			 Apr 2 0 6 1 0 7 1 1 26 
			 May 2 0 7 0 0 10 3 1 30 
			 Jun 3 0 9 0 0 10 2 1 29 
			 Jul 1 0 9 0 0 12 2 0 28 
			 Aug 1 2 9 1 0 9 1 1 23 
			 Sep 0 1 8 1 0 7 2 2 26 
			 Oct 0 1 11 0 0 6 3 2 22 
			 Nov 3 2 11 0 0 7 3 3 23 
			 Dec 3 1 11 0 0 4 3 1 24 
			           
			 2008          
			 Jan 1 2 11 1 0 7 3 1 17 
			 Feb 1 3 14 1 0 12 3 1 19 
			 Mar 1 3 16 0 0 9 1 1 20 
			 Apr 2 3 11 0 0 10 1 1 27 
			 May 2 2 10 0 0 13 1 2 27 
			 Jun 3 3 8 0 0 12 0 2 30 
			 Jul 3 3 6 1 0 9 1 3 28 
			 Aug 2 2 8 1 0 10 1 2 26 
			 Sep 2 2 6 0 0 7 0 1 22 
			 Oct 2 2 6 0 0 7 0 0 24 
			 Nov 3 2 6 0 0 8 0 0 23 
			 Dec 2 2 6 0 0 6 1 0 29 
			           
			 2009          
			 Jan 2 3 8 0 0 4 1 0 29 
			 Feb 1 3 7 1 0 5 1 0 28 
			 Mar 1 3 6 1 0 3 0 0 30 
			 Apr 2 2 4 1 0 4 1 0 32 
			 May 0 2 4 1 0 5 1 1 31 
			 Jun 0 2 2 1 0 7 2 1 33 
			 Jul 0 2 4 2 1 5 1 1 35 
			 Aug 1 2 4 2 2 4 2 0 32 
			 Sep 2 2 4 2 2 5 3 0 34 
			 Oct 2 2 3 2 2 5 2 0 30 
			 Nov 3 2 3 2 2 7 2 0 20 
			 Dec 4 2 2 1 0 9 2 0 15 
			           
			 2010          
			 Jan 1 1 4 1 0 11 6 1 17 
			 Feb 1 1 6 1 0 11 5 1 18 
			 Mar 1 1 5 1 0 7 4 1 23 
		
	
	
		
			 Apr 2 1 4 2 0 6 3 0 20 
			 May 2 1 3 2 0 7 1 0 21 
			 Jun 1 1 4 2 0 6 1 0 14 
			 Jul 1 1 4 2 0 6 1 0 12 
			 Aug 1 0 10 2 1 3 2 0 13 
			 Sep 1 0 9 2 1 4 2 1 16 
			 Oct 1 0 8 4 0 5 1 0 15 
			 Nov 2 0 7 4 0 5 2 1 11 
			 Dec 2 0 7 4 0 5 2 1 10 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 2 0 4 4 1 4 2 0 6 
			 Feb 2 1 4 4 1 2 1 0 7 
			 Mar 2 1 4 3 1 1 1 0 13 
			 Apr 2 1 5 3 1 2 2 0 13 
			 May 1 1 5 2 1 2 3 0 16 
			 Jun 1 1 6 2 1 3 3 0 13 
			 Jul 0 1 6 2 0 3 1 0 16 
			 Aug 0 0 8 1 0 4 2 0 17 
			 Sep 0 0 5 1 0 3 1 0 15 
			 Oct 0 0 6 1 0 2 1 0 11 
			 Nov 0 0 6 1 0 1 1 0 11 
			 Dec 0 0 5 1 0 2 2 0 11 
		
	
	
		
			  Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy and Denbighshire 
			 Month SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI 
			 2005          
			 May 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 12 
			 Jun 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 10 
			 Jul 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 10 
			 Aug 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 11 
			 Sep 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 10 
			 Oct 0 0 4 0 0 1 3 0 13 
			 Nov 0 0 3 0 0 1 3 0 11 
			 Dec 1 0 3 0 0 1 3 1 7 
			           
			 2006          
			 Jan 1 0 4 1 0 0 1 1 5 
			 Feb 1 0 5 1 0 0 1 0 9 
			 Mar 1 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 5 
			 Apr 0 0 5 0 0 0 2 0 8 
			 May 0 0 7 1 0 0 2 1 7 
			 Jun 0 0 9 1 0 0 2 1 7 
			 Jul 0 0 6 1 0 1 2 1 10 
			 Aug 1 0 8 0 0 1 4 1 13 
			 Sep 1 1 10 0 0 0 4 1 11 
			 Oct 2 0 6 0 0 0 3 1 11 
			 Nov 0 0 4 0 0 4 2 1 16 
			 Dec 0 0 5 0 0 7 2 1 11 
			           
			 2007          
			 Jan 2 0 5 0 2 13 1 1 10 
			 Feb 2 0 4 0 2 12 1 0 10 
			 Mar 1 0 6 0 4 11 2 0 12 
			 Apr 0 0 8 0 5 7 1 0 9 
			 May 0 0 6 0 2 5 0 0 9 
			 Jun 0 0 4 0 1 3 0 0 10 
			 Jul 0 0 5 0 2 1 2 0 9 
			 Aug 1 0 8 0 1 2 1 0 12 
		
	
	
		
			 Sep 1 0 8 0 0 3 2 0 11 
			 Oct 1 0 8 0 0 3 1 0 10 
			 Nov 1 0 7 0 0 3 0 0 9 
			 Dec 2 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 10 
			           
			 2008          
			 Jan 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 1 12 
			 Feb 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 10 
			 Mar 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 12 
			 Apr 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 12 
			 May 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 11 
			 Jun 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 8 
			 Jul 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 
			 Aug 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 9 
			 Sep 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 13 
			 Oct 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 14 
			 Nov 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 13 
			 Dec 0 0 4 0 0 2 1 0 8 
			           
			 2009          
			 Jan 0 0 5 0 0 2 1 0 6 
			 Feb 0 0 7 0 0 2 0 0 3 
			 Mar 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 5 
			 Apr 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 11 
			 May 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 6 
			 Jun 1 0 8 0 0 1 0 0 6 
			 Jul 1 0 11 0 0 1 0 0 5 
			 Aug 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 4 
			 Sep 0 0 9 0 0 1 0 0 6 
			 Oct 0 0 7 0 0 1 0 1 6 
			 Nov 0 0 6 0 0 1 1 1 5 
			 Dec 1 0 7 0 0 0 1 0 3 
			           
			 2010          
			 Jan 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 7 
			 Feb 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 7 
			 Mar 0 1 5 0 0 0 1 0 4 
			 Apr 1 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 5 
			 May 2 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 5 
			 Jun 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 
			 Jul 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 1 5 
			 Aug 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 1 4 
			 Sep 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 1 3 
			 Oct 1 0 5 0 0 1 1 0 4 
			 Nov 1 0 6 0 0 2 1 0 6 
			 Dec 1 0 8 0 0 2 1 1 4 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 1 0 6 0 0 0 1 1 2 
			 Feb 1 0 5 0 0 0 1 1 2 
			 Mar 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 
			 Apr 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 
			 May 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Jun 1 0 8 0 0 1 0 1 2 
			 Jul 1 0 6 0 0 2 0 1 2 
			 Aug 2 0 6 0 0 1 0 1 2 
			 Sep 1 0 4 0 0 1 3 1 1 
			 Oct 1 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 2 
			 Nov 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 7 
			 Dec 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 8 
		
	
	
		
			  Flintshire Gwynedd Mon Merthyr Tydfil 
			 Month SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI 
			 2005          
			 May 4 0 14 0 1 3 1 0 10 
			 Jun 4 0 12 1 2 6 0 0 8 
			 Jul 4 0 14 1 2 6 0 0 7 
			 Aug 2 1 14 1 2 7 0 0 9 
			 Sep 3 2 16 1 0 8 0 0 6 
			 Oct 1 1 14 1 0 6 0 0 3 
			 Nov 1 1 11 1 0 5 0 0 7 
			 Dec 1 1 10 1 0 4 0 0 9 
			           
			 2006          
			 Jan 2 2 13 0 0 7 1 0 6 
			 Feb 1 1 12 0 0 6 1 0 6 
			 Mar 1 2 12 0 0 4 1 0 5 
			 Apr 0 3 16 0 0 3 2 0 6 
			 May 0 3 13 1 1 5 2 0 5 
			 Jun 0 2 13 3 1 7 1 0 5 
			 Jul 1 1 14 4 1 6 1 0 8 
			 Aug 1 2 18 4 0 9 1 0 4 
			 Sep 1 2 13 3 0 10 0 0 6 
			 Oct 0 2 8 2 0 7 0 0 6 
			 Nov 1 2 8 1 1 11 0 0 7 
			 Dec 1 0 5 3 0 5 0 0 3 
			           
			 2007          
			 Jan 0 0 7 1 0 6 0 0 4 
			 Feb 0 0 8 1 0 5 0 0 2 
			 Mar 0 2 8 1 0 6 0 0 5 
			 Apr 0 2 5 1 0 8 0 0 4 
			 May 0 0 6 0 0 7 1 0 2 
			 Jun 0 0 6 1 1 7 1 0 2 
			 Jul 1 0 5 0 1 10 1 0 2 
			 Aug 0 1 5 0 0 9 1 0 4 
			 Sep 0 1 5 0 0 7 1 0 5 
			 Oct 0 1 5 0 0 6 0 0 8 
			 Nov 0 1 6 0 0 5 0 0 8 
			 Dec 1 1 9 0 0 5 0 0 4 
			           
			 2008          
			 Jan 1 1 8 0 0 1 0 0 6 
			 Feb 1 1 5 0 0 1 0 0 5 
			 Mar 0 3 3 1 0 2 0 0 4 
			 Apr 0 2 0 1 0 6 0 0 4 
			 May 0 2 1 1 0 7 0 0 5 
			 Jun 1 2 4 0 0 3 0 0 7 
			 Jul 1 2 4 0 0 3 1 0 9 
			 Aug 1 0 3 0 0 6 2 2 10 
			 Sep 1 0 2 0 0 7 3 2 9 
			 Oct 1 0 4 0 0 8 3 0 9 
			 Nov 1 0 5 0 0 4 1 0 8 
			 Dec 1 0 6 0 0 4 2 0 7 
			           
			 2009          
			 Jan 2 0 5 0 1 4 2 0 6 
			 Feb 3 0 6 0 1 3 3 0 8 
			 Mar 3 0 6 0 2 3 3 0 11 
			 Apr 2 1 5 0 1 3 5 1 12 
			 May 2 1 6 0 1 3 5 1 14 
			 Jun 2 0 5 0 2 1 5 1 10 
		
	
	
		
			 Jul 2 2 2 1 3 2 5 0 12 
			 Aug 0 1 3 1 3 1 5 0 11 
			 Sep 0 0 5 1 2 3 4 0 7 
			 Oct 0 0 5 0 3 4 4 0 8 
			 Nov 0 0 5 0 2 1 4 1 9 
			 Dec 1 0 5 0 1 3 2 1 8 
			           
			 2010          
			 Jan 1 0 4 0 1 4 2 1 8 
			 Feb 1 1 4 0 1 1 1 1 9 
			 Mar 1 0 3 0 1 1 3 0 10 
			 Apr 0 0 2 1 1 2 3 0 9 
			 May 0 1 2 1 0 2 3 0 9 
			 Jun 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 10 
			 Jul 0 2 0 1 0 2 2 0 10 
			 Aug 0 1 2 2 1 2 2 0 7 
			 Sep 0 1 2 1 1 3 0 0 9 
			 Oct 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 9 
			 Nov 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 1 7 
			 Dec 0 1 2 2 0 3 1 1 5 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 0 0 1 2 0 4 1 1 6 
			 Feb 0 0 1 3 0 5 2 1 6 
			 Mar 0 0 3 3 0 2 2 0 2 
			 Apr 0 1 2 3 0 3 2 0 6 
			 May 0 0 1 1 0 5 1 0 4 
			 Jun 0 0 1 0 0 4 1 0 4 
			 Jul 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 2 
			 Aug 1 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 3 
			 Sep 0 1 4 0 0 2 1 0 3 
			 Oct 0 1 6 0 0 2 0 0 3 
			 Nov 0 1 4 0 2 7 1 0 3 
			 Dec 1 0 2 0 2 5 1 0 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Monmouthshire and Torfaen Neath Port Talbot Newport 
			 Month SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI 
			 2005          
			 May 0 0 6 0 0 3 4 2 15 
			 Jun 0 0 5 0 0 1 5 2 12 
			 Jul 1 0 5 0 0 1 4 3 14 
			 Aug 1 0 4 0 0 1 4 2 15 
			 Sep 1 0 4 0 0 2 4 2 18 
			 Oct 1 0 5 0 0 4 3 2 20 
			 Nov 0 0 3 0 0 5 1 2 20 
			 Dec 0 0 4 0 0 3 1 2 14 
			           
			 2006          
			 Jan 0 0 4 0 0 4 2 2 16 
			 Feb 0 0 3 0 0 4 1 1 15 
			 Mar 0 0 3 0 0 6 2 1 16 
			 Apr 0 0 3 0 0 7 2 0 14 
			 May 0 0 4 0 0 7 2 0 11 
			 Jun 0 0 6 0 0 6 2 1 14 
			 Jul 0 0 5 0 0 4 2 1 16 
			 Aug 0 0 5 0 0 4 2 1 13 
			 Sep 2 0 4 0 0 3 2 1 15 
			 Oct 2 0 3 0 0 4 2 1 15 
			 Nov 1 0 5 0 0 6 2 1 15 
			 Dec 1 0 5 0 0 4 2 1 15 
		
	
	
		
			           
			 2007          
			 Jan 0 0 4 1 0 3 3 0 11 
			 Feb 0 0 5 1 0 5 1 0 10 
			 Mar 0 0 2 3 0 4 1 0 9 
			 Apr 0 0 3 3 0 4 2 0 11 
			 May 0 0 7 3 0 5 2 0 11 
			 Jun 0 0 7 4 0 5 2 0 7 
			 Jul 2 0 7 4 0 6 1 0 7 
			 Aug 3 0 5 4 0 5 2 0 7 
			 Sep 2 1 4 4 0 4 2 0 11 
			 Oct 1 1 3 4 0 5 2 0 8 
			 Nov 1 0 4 3 1 6 2 0 6 
			 Dec 1 0 4 1 0 6 1 0 6 
			           
			 2008          
			 Jan 1 0 3 3 0 4 0 0 7 
			 Feb 1 0 3 3 0 4 0 0 8 
			 Mar 1 0 4 3 0 3 0 0 5 
			 Apr 1 0 4 3 1 4 0 0 9 
			 May 1 0 2 2 1 7 1 0 9 
			 Jun 1 0 1 1 1 5 0 0 11 
			 Jul 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 0 8 
			 Aug 0 2 1 1 1 6 1 0 13 
			 Sep 1 1 1 1 1 6 0 0 15 
			 Oct 1 1 2 1 1 3 0 0 13 
			 Nov 1 0 3 1 1 4 0 0 8 
			 Dec 1 0 2 1 1 5 1 0 10 
			           
			 2009          
			 Jan 2 0 0 1 1 4 1 0 12 
			 Feb 2 0 0 1 1 5 0 0 5 
			 Mar 2 0 0 1 1 6 0 0 5 
			 Apr 1 0 0 1 1 5 1 0 5 
			 May 1 0 0 1 0 4 1 0 7 
			 Jun 1 1 1 1 0 3 1 0 9 
			 Jul 1 1 2 1 0 3 1 1 5 
			 Aug 1 1 4 1 0 3 2 1 8 
			 Sep 1 0 0 1 0 4 2 0 8 
			 Oct 1 0 2 1 0 4 2 0 8 
			 Nov 2 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 4 
			 Dec 2 0 4 0 0 2 1 0 4 
			           
			 2010          
			 Jan 2 0 4 1 0 2 0 0 6 
			 Feb 2 0 3 1 0 3 0 0 6 
			 Mar 2 0 4 1 0 4 0 1 7 
			 Apr 0 0 5 1 0 3 0 0 9 
			 May 0 0 3 1 0 3 0 1 11 
			 Jun 0 0 5 0 0 3 1 0 11 
			 Jul 0 0 5 0 0 2 1 1 10 
			 Aug 0 0 6 0 0 4 0 1 8 
			 Sep 0 0 6 1 0 4 1 1 8 
			 Oct 0 0 5 0 0 3 1 1 12 
			 Nov 0 0 4 0 0 1 2 0 8 
			 Dec 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 8 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 7 
			 Feb 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 6 
			 Mar 0 0 3 2 0 3 4 0 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Apr 0 0 2 2 0 2 4 0 6 
			 May 0 0 1 3 0 2 5 0 11 
			 Jun 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 0 10 
			 Jul 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 0 9 
			 Aug 0 0 3 1 0 0 3 0 7 
			 Sep 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 7 
			 Oct 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 8 
			 Nov 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 9 
			 Dec 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon Taff 
			 Month SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI 
			 2005          
			 May 0 0 2 0 1 5 5 1 7 
			 Jun 0 0 2 0 1 4 4 0 11 
			 Jul 0 0 2 0 1 1 4 0 12 
			 Aug 0 0 3 0 0 3 1 0 10 
			 Sep 0 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 8 
			 Oct 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 6 
			 Nov 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 7 
			 Dec 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 8 
			           
			 2006          
			 Jan 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 9 
			 Feb 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 7 
			 Mar 0 0 1 0 0 5 1 0 11 
			 Apr 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 11 
			 May 0 0 3 0 0 4 0 1 6 
			 Jun 0 0 3 0 0 4 1 0 12 
			 Jul 0 0 4 0 0 4 1 0 12 
			 Aug 0 0 5 1 1 2 0 0 12 
			 Sep 0 0 5 1 1 4 0 0 10 
			 Oct 0 0 6 0 0 4 0 0 13 
			 Nov 0 0 4 0 0 3 0 0 11 
			 Dec 0 0 4 0 0 3 0 0 12 
			           
			 2007          
			 Jan 0 0 4 1 0 3 0 0 11 
			 Feb 0 0 3 1 0 3 0 0 11 
			 Mar 0 0 4 1 0 3 0 0 9 
			 Apr 0 0 4 1 0 1 1 0 11 
			 May 0 0 3 1 0 2 2 0 8 
			 Jun 0 0 2 1 0 1 1 1 8 
			 Jul 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 1 8 
			 Aug 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 9 
			 Sep 0 0 2 0 0 3 1 0 7 
			 Oct 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 1 7 
			 Nov 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 1 8 
			 Dec 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 8 
			           
			 2008          
			 Jan 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 
			 Feb 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 9 
			 Mar 0 0 2 0 1 1 1 1 14 
			 Apr 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 1 10 
			 May 0 0 3 0 0 2 1 1 12 
			 Jun 0 0 5 0 0 2 1 1 8 
			 Jul 0 0 3 0 0 2 1 2 8 
			 Aug 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 2 8 
			 Sep 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 2 9 
		
	
	
		
			 Oct 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 11 
			 Nov 0 0 2 0 0 2 3 1 9 
			 Dec 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 7 
			           
			 2009          
			 Jan 0 0 2 0 0 2 1 1 9 
			 Feb 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 9 
			 Mar 0 0 1 1 0 4 1 1 11 
			 Apr 0 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 9 
			 May 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 1 7 
			 Jun 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 10 
			 Jul 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 12 
			 Aug 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 11 
			 Sep 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 8 
			 Oct 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 7 
			 Nov 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 7 
			 Dec 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 7 
			           
			 2010          
			 Jan 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 6 
			 Feb 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 8 
			 Mar 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 9 
			 Apr 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 11 
			 May 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 17 
			 Jun 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 12 
			 Jul 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 11 
			 Aug 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 9 
			 Sep 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 12 
			 Oct 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 13 
			 Nov 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 14 
			 Dec 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 7 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 9 
			 Feb 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 9 
			 Mar 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 7 
			 Apr 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 6 
			 May 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 9 
			 Jun 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 7 
			 Jul 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 8 
			 Aug 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 5 
			 Sep 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 7 
			 Oct 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 
			 Nov 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 
			 Dec 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Swansea Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham 
			 Month SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI SCH STC YOI 
			 2005          
			 May 2 0 13 0 0 6 0 0 0 
			 Jun 2 0 13 1 0 5 0 0 0 
			 Jul 2 1 13 1 0 6 0 0 0 
			 Aug 3 0 10 1 0 5 0 0 0 
			 Sep 2 0 12 1 0 7 0 0 0 
			 Oct 3 2 11 1 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Nov 3 2 11 0 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Dec 2 1 12 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			           
			 2006          
			 Jan 2 0 14 0 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Feb 2 0 10 0 0 3 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Mar 2 0 12 0 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Apr 1 0 13 0 0 3 0 0 0 
			 May 1 0 12 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Jun 1 0 11 0 0 2 0 0 0 
			 Jul 2 0 13 0 0 2 0 0 0 
			 Aug 2 0 16 0 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Sep 2 0 14 0 0 2 0 0 1 
			 Oct 1 0 15 0 0 3 0 1 4 
			 Nov 1 0 12 1 0 2 0 3 6 
			 Dec 2 0 9 1 0 3 0 2 3 
			           
			 2007          
			 Jan 2 0 9 1 0 1 1 2 5 
			 Feb 2 0 9 0 0 1 2 1 7 
			 Mar 1 0 7 0 0 7 1 2 5 
			 Apr 1 0 7 0 1 8 3 1 3 
			 May 3 0 8 2 0 6 2 1 6 
			 Jun 3 0 9 1 0 7 3 1 9 
			 Jul 3 0 14 1 0 6 1 1 9 
			 Aug 3 0 12 1 0 8 1 1 12 
			 Sep 3 0 7 0 0 7 3 1 13 
			 Oct 3 0 8 0 0 5 3 1 14 
			 Nov 3 0 7 0 0 4 2 0 12 
			 Dec 3 0 5 0 0 4 1 1 11 
			           
			 2008          
			 Jan 4 0 8 0 0 6 1 2 13 
			 Feb 4 0 6 0 0 5 1 1 14 
			 Mar 2 0 10 1 0 5 1 2 13 
			 Apr 2 0 14 1 0 4 0 1 10 
			 May 1 0 12 0 0 4 0 1 12 
			 Jun 2 0 14 0 0 6 1 1 11 
			 Jul 2 0 12 0 0 6 1 0 13 
			 Aug 4 0 10 0 0 6 1 0 11 
			 Sep 5 0 8 0 0 6 1 0 10 
			 Oct 5 0 8 1 0 7 1 0 10 
			 Nov 4 0 6 2 0 8 1 0 11 
			 Dec 4 0 5 2 0 8 0 0 14 
			           
			 2009          
			 Jan 2 0 3 2 0 6 2 1 11 
			 Feb 2 0 5 1 0 6 2 1 12 
			 Mar 3 0 7 1 0 7 2 1 9 
			 Apr 3 0 8 1 0 7 0 1 13 
			 May 3 0 6 2 0 6 1 0 14 
			 Jun 3 0 7 2 1 4 1 0 12 
			 Jul 3 0 8 3 0 1 1 0 8 
			 Aug 2 0 5 3 0 1 0 0 7 
			 Sep 2 0 5 3 0 2 1 0 10 
			 Oct 1 0 5 3 0 3 1 1 10 
			 Nov 1 0 5 3 0 3 1 1 9 
			 Dec 1 0 4 3 0 1 1 1 4 
			           
			 2010          
			 Jan 1 0 3 3 0 2 1 1 5 
			 Feb 1 0 3 4 0 2 1 1 5 
			 Mar 1 1 1 5 0 2 0 1 4 
			 Apr 2 0 1 4 0 2 0 1 6 
			 May 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 1 4 
			 Jun 1 0 7 2 0 2 0 0 6 
			 Jul 0 0 8 2 0 3 0 0 4 
			 Aug 0 0 11 1 0 4 0 0 4 
		
	
	
		
			 Sep 0 0 10 1 0 4 1 1 4 
			 Oct 1 0 8 1 0 4 0 1 6 
			 Nov 1 0 8 2 0 4 0 1 6 
			 Dec 1 0 8 2 0 2 1 1 4 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 1 0 8 1 1 2 2 1 2 
			 Feb 1 0 10 1 0 2 0 1 2 
			 Mar 1 0 14 0 0 2 1 0 5 
			 Apr 1 0 14 0 0 2 0 0 4 
			 May 1 0 13 1 0 2 1 1 6 
			 Jun 1 0 12 1 0 2 1 1 5 
			 Jul 1 0 8 1 0 3 1 0 4 
			 Aug 1 0 9 0 0 3 0 0 4 
			 Sep 0 0 9 0 0 2 2 0 3 
			 Oct 0 0 8 0 0 0 1 0 4 
			 Nov 0 0 8 0 0 1 1 0 3 
			 Dec 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 0 2 
			 Notes: 1.This table is based upon monthly snapshot data. Therefore one young person who is serving more than one month in custody may be shown in more than one month in the table. 2. Data from April 2011 onwards are provisional and will be finalised when the 2011-12 Annual Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013. 3.The YJB does not hold data at local authority level. However, it does hold data down to Youth Offending Team area, some of which cover more than one local authority area. Please note Flintshire and Wrexham YOT split into two YOTs in 2001, though have been recorded as the combined YOT up to 2006. 4.These figures come form the YJB's Secure Accommodation Clearing House System (SACHS) database. 5.These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

Youth Custody: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young adult offenders aged 18 to 20 from the London Borough of Islington have been held in a (a) young offender institutions, (b) local prisons and (c) other parts of the secure estate in each month since May 2009.

Crispin Blunt: All young offenders sentenced to Detention in a Young Offender Institution (DYOI), which is the most common custodial sentence for this age group, are held in appropriately designated YOI accommodation within the prison estate. The majority of this accommodation is in dedicated YOIs, although some establishments in the estate have a dual designation (designated both as a prison and a YOI) and hold both adult prisoners and young offenders. The following table shows the number of offenders aged 18-20 years old with a recorded residential address or proxy in the London borough of Islington who were held in predominant function male Young Offender Institutions, predominant function male local prisons and other prisons (including female prisons) on a set day in each month where data is available since May 2009.
	
		
			 Number and location of male and female young adult offenders (aged 18-20) originating from a local borough of Islington 
			 Location May  20 09 Sep tember 20 10 Nov ember 20 10 January 2011 Mar ch 2011 
			 (a) Male Young Offender Institutions 47 31 33 27 29 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Male local prisons 0 1 2 1 2 
			 (c) Other prisons (including female prisons) 4 11 8 12 12 
		
	
	
		
			 Location May  20 11 Jul y 20 11 Sep tember 20 11 Nov ember 20 11 Jan uary 20 12 
			 (a) Male Young Offender Institutions 29 31 41 45 40 
			 (b) Male local prisons 0 3 3 1 2 
			 (c) Other prisons (including female prisons) 6 6 7 7 7 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Information on offenders' residences is provided by offenders on reception into prison and recorded on a central IT system. Addresses can include a home address, an address to which offenders intend to return on discharge or next of kin address and these figures are provided in the table above.
	If no address is given, an offender's committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident. These figures are also included in the table above. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders, these figures are excluded from the table above.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

G20 Countries

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on UK aid to G20 countries.

Alan Duncan: Of the G20 countries, DFID gives aid to India, South Africa and to Indonesia for climate change. DFID no longer has bilateral aid programmes for Russia and China and does not for instance give direct aid to fight poverty in countries like Brazil or Argentina.

AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the future programme of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Stephen O'Brien: The fund will spend some $9 billion to $10 billion between now and 2014 on the renewal of previously approved programmes. A new transitional funding mechanism could mean short-term changes to expected results. None the less, the UK contribution could support 412,000 people on ARV therapy, 366,000 DOTS treatments of smear positive TB cases, and distribution of 10.3 million bed nets. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), will give evidence on the fund to the International Development Committee in mid April.

Nepal

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department provided to the Gurkha region of Nepal in the last year for which information is available.

Alan Duncan: Gurkhas are recruited across the whole of Nepal. By 2015, UKAid will lift 400,000 people out of poverty, provide safe water to 100,000 people and ensure 4 million people are resilient to disasters and climate change. We have expanded and enhanced the Gurkha welfare scheme.

Argentina

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has received reports from the UK's representation at the Inter-American Development Bank and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development about the US administration's change in policy in September 2011 on loans to Argentina from these institutions; and what reports were received.

Alan Duncan: The US administration has not formally communicated its change in policy towards loans to Argentina at the Inter-American Development Bank and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to the UK. Nor has the US administration formally lobbied the UK to change its policy.
	Officials at the Department for International Development were only made aware of the new US position towards loans to Argentina when recent loans were considered at the two institutions on the 14 September 2011 in the case of Inter American Development Bank, and 14 February 2012 in the case of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Developing Countries: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding has been allocated by his Department to programmes run by the private sector (a) in each (i) country and (ii) continent and (b) under the auspices of each multilateral institution; and how many of his Department's staff work on each.

Stephen O'Brien: Information on whether programme funding has been channelled through the private sector is not held centrally.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) does not allocate a specific proportion of the budget to private sector projects. The DFID annual report and accounts 2010-11 set out the plans for the priority pillars for the four years of the spending review period and private sector department plans for the next two years.
	For planning purposes the Department for International Development (DFID) allocates money by priority pillars. The pillars are wealth creation, governance and security, climate change and global partnerships, as well as DFID funding in support of the Millennium Development Goals (education, health, water and sanitation and humanitarian assistance).
	DFID's private sector department is playing a key role in promoting private sector activities within wealth creation, as well as the other pillars. More detail on DFID's approach to working with the private sector is contained within the paper titled ‘The Engine of Development: The Private Sector and Prosperity for Poor People’. This can be found on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2011/Mitchell-Harness-dynamism-and-energy-of-private-enterprise-in-international-development/
	For more information on current activities in this area and budget allocations please see the DFID annual report and accounts 2010-11, which can also be found on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Annual-report/
	Further information on DFID projects/programmes can be accessed from our Project Information Database:
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/
	and in the DFID departmental operational plan:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Site-search/?q=operational+plan
	on the DFID website. DFID operational plans provide information on programme spend broken down by the various pillars.

Developing Countries: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria his Department uses when assessing the value for money of the private sector programmes it funds.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) work with the private sector ensures value for money by maximising the impact of each pound spent to improve poor peoples' lives. DFID ensures value for money throughout the full programme cycle, starting with the DFID business plan, results framework:
	www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/
	and operational plans:
	www.dfid.gov.uk/What-we-do/Publications/?p=OP
	DFID uses a value for money framework based on assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of all projects as well as ways to reduce the overall costs. The specific criteria for ensuring value for money at a project level are determined on a case-by-case basis. All proposals for DFID funding must be accompanied by a business case. This is the main record of the proposal, summarising value for money considerations and intended results. Indicators for tracking value for money are included in the logical framework, which is an annex to the business case. DFID's monitoring and evaluation processes include an annual review against the indicators in the logical framework and requires an assessment of whether a project remains good value for money. The project database:
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
	provides access to business cases, logical frameworks and annual reviews.

Developing Countries: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the application process is for funding from his Department's private sector programme.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports various funds designed to encourage businesses to invest in development projects. These include initiatives which work in a wide range of DFID's priorities countries such as the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), the Business Innovation Facility (BIF) and the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG). The application process is different for each scheme.
	A full list of the funding schemes and partnership opportunities on offer can be found on DFID's website under the funding opportunities for business page:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Work-with-us/Funding-opportunities/Business/
	Information on how to apply is also detailed here.

Iraq

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of his Department's operations in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: In line with the outcome of the UK Department for International Development (DFID)'s March 2011 Bilateral Aid Review (BAR), DFID will complete its bilateral programme in Iraq in March 2012. The BAR made the assessment that while Iraq continues to face development challenges, it is a middle income country with huge potential. In this context, the multilateral organisations such as the United Nations and the World Bank, which will continue to receive core funding from DFID, are better placed to help it to realise the next stage of its development. During the past year, UK Aid has:
	Helped the Government of Iraq to develop a clear policy framework for implementing its strategic priorities and thus better respond to the needs of Iraqi citizens, through publication of Iraq's Strategic Government programme and the establishment of two central Government institutions responsible for policy coordination and development;
	Delivered four expert assessments helping the Government of Iraq undertake reforms to make it easier to do business and invest in Iraq;
	Helped over 240 staff and students benefit from professional development opportunities and courses through 35 development partnerships between Iraqi, UK and other universities;
	Provided humanitarian support for over 1.3 million Iraqi children and their families, delivering access to health care for 250,000 boys and 250,000 girls, providing 740,000 Iraqis with access to safe drinking water, and helping 80,000 children secure access to education.
	After March 2012, DFID will continue to deliver development results in Iraq through core funding to the multilateral organisations, and via regional initiatives with the International Monetary Fund to improve macroeconomic governance, and with the International Finance Corporation on private sector development. Through the Arab Partnership initiative the UK will continue to support reforms in Iraq for a stable, democratic and prosperous future, and the UK Government Conflict Pool will continue to focus on stabilisation and conflict prevention.

North Korea

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department provides for educational initiatives in (a) North Korea and (b) for North Koreans in the UK; and if he will consider increasing that funding.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not provide bilateral funding for educational initiatives in North Korea or for North Koreans in the UK and has no plans to do so.

Overseas Aid

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on which countries his Department's governance and conflict programme will focus.

Stephen O'Brien: Capable and legitimate governance institutions are vital for development progress. The Department for International Development (DFID) supports governance activities in all 28 of our focus countries. HMG's Building Stability Overseas Strategy sets out the UK's approach to addressing conflict and fragility overseas, which is applied when designing programmes to address conflict. Key priority countries for addressing conflict include Afghanistan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
	The type of governance and conflict programmes implemented in our focus countries varies from one to another. The range includes:
	Support to elections, parliaments and democratic governance;
	Empowering citizens to take control of their own affairs and holding governments to account;
	Improving security and justice for poor people, and reducing violence against women;
	Building the capacity of national and local level governments to deliver health, education and other key services;
	Promoting effective and sustainable tax systems which strengthen accountability and facilitate the exit from aid.

Somalia

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) development assistance and (b) other aid his Department provided to Puntland and the South and Central regions of Somalia (i) in each year from 2005 to 2010 and (ii) in the first half of 2011; and what the difference was between commitments and disbursements in each period.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not compile formal aid expenditure statistics broken down at sub-national level, or records commitments separately for actual aid spending. UK bilateral aid expenditure to Somalia (including Somaliland) for each year 2005-06 to 2010-11, is given in Table 1 as follows:
	
		
			 Table 1: DFID bilateral aid—Somalia 
			 £000 
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Total 18,740 16,631 25,714 33,471 44,431 46,060 
			 Of which:       
			 Humanitarian assistance 15,589 7,975 13,675 18,288 31,900 29,855 
			 Source: Statistics on International Development, 2011, 2010. http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/ 
		
	
	In the year 2011-12, the UK intends to spend up to £103 million across Somalia, focused on heath services, private sector development, governance and peace-building and humanitarian assistance, subject to results. Up to 60% of this development funding (not including humanitarian aid) from 2011-12 to 2014-15 will be to Somaliland, dependent on results achieved.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that mineral-exporting countries from sub-Saharan Africa are getting a fair price for their export goods.

Stephen O'Brien: Open and predictable trade rules are the best approach to ensuring trade contributes to the economic development of any country. The Department for International Development (DFID) supports Fairtrade International (FLO). FLO in partnership with the Alliance of Responsible Mining has developed Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold Certification. The certification means that the gold has been responsibly mined and that the miners have received fair prices for their products allowing them to support their families and create a better future. FLO is working to extend this certification to Africa.
	DFID also supports countries in sub-Saharan Africa to improve management of their mining sectors so as to maximise the benefits for growth and development. For example, in Sierra Leone, the UK supports a new National Minerals Agency which aims to help raise £2.4 billion in additional government revenues from mining by 2021.
	The UK is also a strong supporter of transparency in the extractives sector. This enables citizens to hold their governments accountable for what they receive from the exploitation of their countries' natural resources. The UK supports the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative which has already resulted in $500 billion of extractives revenues being reported.

EDUCATION

Children: Abuse

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has to prevent the abuse of children who are branded as witches or possessed by evil spirits.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 13 March 2012
	The number of cases in this country of child abuse linked to belief, including belief in witchcraft or spirit possession, is believed to be small. Where such abuse occurs, however, it causes horrific distress and suffering to the child. It is likely that a proportion of this type of abuse remains unreported.
	Research commissioned by the Department for Education in 2006 reviewed child abuse cases occurring between 2000 and 2005 to identify any cases where the abuse was linked to accusations of possession or witchcraft 38 cases involving 47 children were found to be relevant and sufficiently well documented. The children came from a … variety of backgrounds including African, South Asian and European. There has been no research conducted by the Department since the 2006 report and there are no official statistics on this type of abuse.
	The Department for Education has this year commissioned a small-scale research study to draw together what is already known about the issue. It is hoped to publish the report of this research in the autumn.
	I have also established, and chaired during its start-up phase, a Working Group on Faith-Based Child Abuse, involving partners in the statutory, voluntary, faith and community sectors. During the next phase of this work, proposals for tackling this abuse will be shared with a wider group of professionals, voluntary sector, organisations, faith and community groups.
	The proposals currently focus on the four themes of engaging communities;. empowering practitioners; supporting victims and witnesses; and communicating our messages.

Drugs: Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department provided to the Drug Education Forum in each of the last five financial years; and what funding his Department will provide to the Drug Education Forum in each of the next five financial years.

Tim Loughton: The Department provided the Drugs Education Forum (the Forum) with funding of £64,000 per year from financial year 2007-08 to 2010-11 and £69,000 in financial year 2011-12.
	Payments for the Forum were made by the Department to Mentor, the voluntary sector organisation which hosts the Forum.
	The Department will not be providing further funding to the Forum. However the Department recognises the continuing need of local areas, schools and practitioners to have access to reliable evidence based information and advice on substance misuse prevention and is currently exploring the best way to provide this.

Families

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has allocated to the troubled families initiative in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15;
	(2)  how many civil servants in his Department are working on the troubled families initiative;
	(3)  how much funding local education authorities will contribute from pre-allocated resources from his Department towards the troubled families initiative in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15;
	(4)  whether funding of the troubled families initiative has had implications for the funding of other programmes operated by his Department; what such programmes are; and what funding has been so diverted in each case.

Tim Loughton: The responsibility for delivering the Troubled Families programme transferred to Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in December 2011. Along with other Departments, the Department for Education (DfE) have agreed to support the programme including by transferring funding to DCLG. An initial £15 million has been transferred for 2010/11, and the Department will be contributing £30 million in each of the next three financial years. Funding is being identified through the normal budget setting process, which involves the Department reviewing its overall priorities, identifying funding lines which are coming to an end or offer less good value for money, and adjusting funding to meet new priorities. Part of the funding will come from what would otherwise have been spent on the DfE programme for families with multiple problems. The estimates memorandum for each Government Department will be published by Parliament and the Estimates themselves will be published by Treasury in the early part of the new financial year 2012/13. These documents will carry the detail of all programme budget changes.
	There is currently the equivalent of one full-time member of staff working on the Troubled Families programme within the Department. A number of other officials are involved from time to time to ensure that programmes, measures and approaches are aligned with wider DfE policies and programmes.
	Local authorities have the discretion to make their own decisions on how much funding will be allocated to the Troubled Families programme from central Government grants. Information on estimated expenditure by local authorities from 2011/12 to 2014/15 in respect of this work is not available. The £448 million funding for the Troubled Families programme will be made available to all local areas (at upper-tier local authority level) from 2012/13, primarily on a payment-by-results basis, distributed as a 40% contribution to the costs of actions needed. The remaining 60% will need to be found locally, from the local authority and partners (including, for example, police, health and Job Centre Plus).

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and if he will estimate the potential savings in each case.

Tim Loughton: In the period 1 June 2011 to 31 January 2012, the Department for Education revoked 11 sets of regulations. The Government's aim is to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy on teachers, heads and governors so that they can focus on raising standards, rather than administrative tasks. It is not our intention to estimate the potential cost savings for the revoked regulations, but we are looking into assessing the impact of our measures on teachers' time.

Schools: Finance

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will set out the amount of local authority central spend equivalent grant that will be paid in academic year 2011-12 to each academy which converted to that status between May 2010 and August 2011.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 13 March 2012
	This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA).
	Peter Lauener, the chief executive of the YPLA, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 12 March 2012
	I am writing with a response to the question you asked the Secretary of State on 8 March 2012 about the amount of local authority central spend equivalent grant (LACSEG) that will be paid in academic year 2011-12 to each Academy which converted to that status between May 2010 and August 2011. A spreadsheet containing the information you have requested has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The first schools converted to Academy status on 1 September 2010. Therefore the information provided relates to schools that converted between 1 September 2010 and 1 August 2011. The information is provided in two tabs on the spreadsheet: the first covers Academies converting between September 2010 and March 2011; the second covers those converting between April 2011 and August 2011.
	I trust this provides the information you were seeking.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his policy is on allowing bereaved families to visit Camp Bastion;
	(2)  what requests his Department has received from bereaved family members to visit Camp Bastion.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 13 March 2012
	The Department has received some requests from bereaved families. Like the previous Government, the Government's existing policy is not to organise or host visits for bereaved families to Afghanistan. However, we understand that this is a highly sensitive issue and, as a consequence, the feasibility of organised visits is kept under review.

Afghanistan

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on allowing bereaved family members to visit Camp Bastion.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 13 March 2012
	The Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), regularly discusses issues on a range of topics with his Canadian counterpart. The matter of bereaved family members visiting Afghanistan has been discussed by officials.

Aircraft Carriers

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much additional changes to the position of the Landing Signals Officer position on the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers to accommodate the C variant of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter will add to the construction cost of the carriers.

Peter Luff: The landing safety officer (LSO) role is required to enable the recovery of conventional aircraft to a carrier variant (CV) carrier. It is not required for short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) operations. The cost to provide this role therefore forms part of our estimates for the conversion of a Queen Elizabeth Class carrier to CV configuration. These estimates continue to mature through the conversion development phase (CDP) and at this stage, our cost modelling does not identify the specific cost components for the LSO position.

Aircraft Carriers

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK defence strategy of the absence of a fixed wing carrier strike capability.

Nick Harvey: As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, our assessment is that expeditionary airpower can be delivered through other means (for example, land basing and overflight agreements with other nations) in the short term. This was illustrated by the campaign in Libya, which also confirmed our assumption that working more closely with allies and partners delivers more military capability.
	The National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) assessed and prioritised all major areas of national security risk domestic and overseas. Subject-matter experts, analysts and intelligence specialists were asked to identify the full range of existing and potential risks, and determined that the strategic environment in the period after 2020 is far less certain. This is why the Government believe that a modern carrier capability, able to undertake a variety of roles such as power projection, peace keeping, conflict prevention and the provision of aid and assistance in times of crisis, will be required.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many successful launches and traps of the F-35C aircraft have occurred (a) at sea and (b) on land using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Arrestor Gear in the last three years.

Peter Luff: There has been one successful launch of the F-35C aircraft using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System at Lakehurst, New Jersey in November 2011. There have been no F-35C launches at sea and no F-35C traps using the Advanced Arrestor Gear.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what design changes to the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers were needed to accommodate the larger range of weapons used by the F-35C variant; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of such changes.

Peter Luff: No changes to the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier design are needed to accommodate the UK weapon fit for the F-35C variant.

Armed Forces: Life Insurance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all compensatory payments made by (a) his Department and (b) other Government Departments to the next of kin of fallen service personnel, setting out how much was paid and over what time period since 2000; how many recipients there have been for each payment in each such year; what the total amount spent on each payment was in each year; whether any eligibility criteria applied in respect of each payment; and which Government Department was the lead Department in administering each payment.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 8 March 2012
	The following table provides information on the number of recipients of the death in service lump sum, the number of bereaved families in receipt of a survivor's guaranteed income payment and the total amount paid for each year since the introduction of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, which is administered by the Ministry of Defence:
	
		
			 Financial year Recipients of death in service payments Total paid (£) Recipients of survivor's guaranteed income payment—spouse Recipients of guaranteed income payment—children Total paid (£) 
			 2005-06 (1)— 20,000 5 10 120,000 
			 2006-07 30 490,000 45 60 1,100,000 
			 2007-08 40 765,000 80 95 1,800,000 
			 2008-09 35 610,000 105 140 2,100,000 
			 2009-10 40 720,000 145 190 2,500,000 
			 2010-11 40 690,000 185 245 3,700,000 
			 Total 
			 (1 )Fewer than five Note: All figures have been rounded to 10 or 1,000

Armed Forces: Life Insurance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what proportion of service personnel take out life insurance before being deployed to Afghanistan;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of service personnel of each rank who were deployed (a) with and (b) without life insurance in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost to a member of the armed forces for life insurance each year.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Personal accident and life insurance is voluntary and is separate from the benefits provided by the Government through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. We have a duty of care however, to ensure that personal accident and life insurance cover is available to those service personnel who consider they require it, and the MOD does this through the PAX, and Service Life Insurance (SLI) schemes provided through Aon for PAX, and the Sterling Insurance Group for SLI.
	While we hold some information on those who have chosen to purchase personal accident and life insurance under these schemes. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 February 2012, Official Report, column 651W. We do not have details of how service personnel are members of other schemes or purchased insurance immediately prior to a deployment.

Armed Forces: Life Insurance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what subsidy PAX life insurance receives; and what eligibility criteria apply.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not subsidise PAX. However, service personnel are required to pay extra premiums to cover them for the period that they are deployed on the land or in the airspace over Afghanistan; these additional premiums are directly supported financially by the MOD. This support is available, on an individual basis, to other personal accident schemes which provide cover to service personnel and charge additional premiums for deployment in Afghanistan. PAX is voluntary and additional to MOD benefits provided through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Armed Forces: Life Insurance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on auto-enrolment on a life insurance scheme for members of the armed forces.

Andrew Robathan: I have had no such discussions. Personal accident and life cover is voluntary and is additional to the benefits provided by the Ministry of Defence in the event of death through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. However, we have a duty of care to ensure that cover is available to those service personnel who consider they require it, and the MOD does this through the PAX, and Service Life Insurance (SLI) schemes provided through Aon for PAX, and the Sterling Insurance Group for SLI.

Army: Recruitment

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what process his Department reached the decision that Capita should be the recommended supplier for the Army's recruiting partnering project.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has selected the Recruiting Partnering Project Recommended Supplier in accordance with the Competitive Dialogue Procedure of the European Union Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (“The Regulations”), which apply to all public procurements not covered by a treaty for the functioning of the European Union exemption; the main exemption for MOD being "warlike stores".
	The selection of Capita as the recommended supplier for the Recruiting Partnering Project was decided on the basis of the 'Most Economically Advantageous Tender' in accordance with predetermined criteria.

BAE Systems

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings Minsters in his Department have had with BAE Systems to discuss cost and time overruns on defence projects.

Peter Luff: Defence Ministers continue to have regular discussions with BAE Systems about a range of subjects which, where appropriate, will include cost and time overruns on individual projects.

Bahrain

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his Bahraini counterpart on the UK providing assistance to Bahrain's security forces.

Nick Harvey: The UK is assisting Bahrain in its efforts to implement the reforms needed to bring long-term stability and prosperity to the country. The Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has not had any discussions with his counterpart, or any other Bahrainis, regarding the UK providing assistance to Bahrain's security forces.

Clyde Submarine Base: Safety

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to revise the accident probability assessment of Faslane Shiplift for Vanguard-class submarines with Strategic Weapon System Embarked following the fire on the Russian submarine Ekaterinburg in the dry dock at Roslyakovo on 29 December 2011.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence conducts annual reviews of the safety case for the shiplift at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde. The safety case includes fire as a potential hazard and identifies the appropriate safety mitigations to ensure that the risk is minimised. The review takes into account any lessons learned and new information obtained since the last review, as well as the need to deliver continuous improvement.
	The annual review is currently under way, and began before the incident with the Russian submarine Ekaterinburg. It is too early to say whether there will be any relevant lessons from this incident. However, any that emerge will be considered during the review process.

Falkland Islands

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of protecting the Falkland Islands in each year since 1985; and what estimate he has made of the future costs of defending the Islands in each year to 2015.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 26 January 2012
	Since 1985 the Ministry of Defence has used a number of budgetary models to record the costs of forces based in the Falkland Islands, making comparison difficult and there is variation throughout caused by what categories of expenditure were included. Prior to 2000-01 the MOD used cash accounting; the costs for financial years 1985-86 - 2000-01 were:
	
		
			 Financial year £ million 
			 1985-86 572 
			 1986-87 402 
			 1987-88 229 
			 1988-89 102 
			 1989-90 68 
			 1990-91 66 
			 1991-92 72 
			 1992-93 58 
			 1993-94 67 
			 1994-95 66 
			 1995-96 70 
			 1996-97 81 
			 1997-98 76 
			 1998-99 72 
			 1999-2000 71 
		
	
	Since 2000-01 the MOD has used resource accounting and the costs for these financial years are:
	
		
			 Financial year £ million 
			 2000-01 143 
			 2001-02 115 
			 2002-03 120 
			 2003-04 111 
			 2004-05 113 
			 2005-06 143 
			 2006-07 65 
			 2007-08 67 
			 2008-09 70 
			 2009-10 73 
			 2010-11 75 
			 2011-12 64 
			 2012-13 61 
			 2013-14 63 
			 2014-15 65 
		
	
	Since 2006-07 figures are for the cost to the Chief of Joint Operations Top Level Budget only. To provide the level of detailed breakdown for other Top Level Budgets expenditure in relation to the Falkland Islands would incur disproportionate cost. Consequently these figures do not reflect the full cost of defending the Falkland Islands as much of the cost is attributable to other budgets within the Department.
	From 2011-12, responsibility and funding for estates management including accommodation costs and utilities such as electricity and fuel oil transferred to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. This has contributed to the reduction in actual and provisionally forecast future expenditure shown from that year onwards.
	The Commander of British Forces in the Falkland Islands is confident he has the resources to defend the islands against any attack. But it should be noted there is no credible threat against the islands.

Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of food procured by his Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources.

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 136W, and to the answer I gave on 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 467W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish).

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria his Department uses to determine the through-life cost of the (a) carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter and (b) STOVL variant Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence bases its through life cost estimates for the joint strike fighter (JSF) on a comprehensive and detailed set of ground rules and assumptions covering all aspects of production costs, reliability data, flying hours required and capability upgrade requirements.
	Because JSF remains in the development test phase, we use a mixture of actual data and parametric data based on historical aircraft types to assess the through life costs of JSF for the UK. This methodology is the same for all three variants of JSF.
	Although JSF is a complex weapon system that will provide the UK with capabilities not previously available to our Armed Forces, the economies of scale of the collaborative programme involving nine nations means that we expect JSF to be more cost effective through life than our current in-service fighter aircraft.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the unit cost is of a Joint Strike Fighter.

Peter Luff: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The cost of the Joint Strike Fighter will be determined at its main investment decision point. The Ministry of Defence does not publish estimates prior to such decision points, as to do so could undermine its commercial position.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weapon systems will be used by the Joint Strike Fighter.

Peter Luff: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The Joint Strike Fighter aircraft will be equipped with a range of advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, the exact mix of which will be optimised to reflect the operational requirement.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is his Department's preferred aircraft to replace the Harrier jet.

Peter Luff: In the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the carrier variant of the joint strike fighter was chosen to meet the UK's future carrier strike capability. We are currently reviewing all parts of the equipment programme as part of the Defence budget in planning round 2012, and we expect to make an announcement on this shortly.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the results were of the most recent testing of the F-35B; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: In October 2011 the F-35B conducted initial sea trials on USS WASP. During the testing, two F-35B test aircraft completed 72 vertical landings and 72 short take-offs under various conditions, logging more than 28-hours of flight time.

Navy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to ensure that the UK remains at the centre of the maritime community.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence, through the Royal Navy, regularly engages with key stakeholders in the maritime sector at both the national and international level.
	This includes regular dialogue with the shipping industry through the Shipping Defence Advisory Committee; liaison with the Chamber of Shipping, as a lead partner in Sea Vision UK; and through the National Maritime Information Centre, which brings together elements of government and industry to tackle the full range of maritime security challenges in partnership across Government.
	The Royal Navy's persistent presence in areas of strategic interest, such as the Gulf, Indian Ocean, Horn of Africa, Caribbean, West Africa and Atlantic regions, also ensures that MOD retains strong engagement links with the global maritime community.

Navy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to ensure that naval recruitment, training and retainment of personnel sustains an effective Royal Navy.

Andrew Robathan: It is a key requirement for each of the armed forces to maintain a satisfactory balance of skills, experience, ability and seniority in rank to enable delivery of operational requirements. Through careful manpower planning, the application of rigorous standards, campaigns and policies, such as targeted recruitment campaigns and career management, the Royal Navy recruits, trains and retains the personnel required to achieve its operational tasking.
	For the longer term, the Government have made a commitment to develop the New Employment Model (NEM) for service personnel. Recognising that the current employment model for service personnel has not changed much in the last 40 years, and needs to be improved to better meet the needs of today's armed forces, the NEM aims to promote greater stability in service life, balanced against the requirement to deliver operational capability. It is hoped that the NEM Programme Steering Board will provide a report for consideration by the Defence Board in the autumn of this year.

Navy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to ensure that naval strategy maintains a credible and effective maritime capability.

Nick Harvey: As part of the naval contribution to defence strategy, we will maintain credible and effective maritime forces by continuing to invest heavily in new capabilities for the Royal Navy. This investment will see the entry into operational service of the final three Type 45 destroyers, seven new Astute class submarines, the Wildcat helicopter, the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier and joint strike fighter, as well as the Type 26 global combat ship.

Radar: Wind Power

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2012, Official Report, column 386W, on radar: wind power, whether trials have been conducted to test the effectiveness of radar systems that are deemed to be wind-farm tolerant; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: Wind farm developers are responsible for mitigating the effects of the interference caused by wind farm turbines on Ministry of Defence (MOD) radars. Consequently, industry has completed a trial, in which the MOD was involved, but did not fund, to prove the effectiveness of the planned radar systems in the presence of wind farms.
	A further trial is scheduled for July 2012, which will assess the effectiveness of the first radar installation at Remote Radar Head Trimingham, once the major off-shore wind farm development at Sheringham Shoal has been constructed.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and if he will estimate the potential savings in each case.

Andrew Robathan: Between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012, the Ministry of Defence revoked the following three items of secondary legislation:
	The Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long Order 1967 (SI 1967/1141)
	The Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long (Amendment) Order 1983 (SI 1983/878)
	In November 2011, the Armed Forces Act 2011 received Royal Assent. This Act repealed the Naval Medical Compassionate Fund Act 1915 and also revoked the Naval Medical Compassionate Fund Order 2008 (SI 2008/3129).
	These repeals and revocations have come as the result of the regular updating and consolidation of departmental secondary legislation and are not estimated to have any financial impact.

Territorial Army: Recruitment

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the upper age limit is for those with no previous military experience for joining (a) 4 Para, (b) 63 Signal Squadron and (c) Honourable Artillery Company units of the Territorial Army.

Andrew Robathan: The upper age limit for joining the Territorial Army for those with no previous military experience is 42 years and 11 months for soldier entry and 34 years and 11 months for officer entry. A higher limit can be applied for certain professional or specialist applicants for officer entry; this would not apply, however, to those applying for the units mentioned in the question.

CABINET OFFICE

Lung Cancer

Derek Twigg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what percentage of the population died of lung cancer in (a) Halton, (b) Merseyside, (c) Cheshire and (d) England in each year since 1997.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of the population died of lung cancer in (a) Halton, (b) Merseyside, (c) Cheshire and (d) England in each year since 1997. (99077)
	Table 1 below shows the percentage of the population that died with lung cancer as the underlying cause of death in Halton unitary authority, Merseyside metropolitan county, Cheshire East unitary authority, Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority and England, for 1997 to 2010 (the latest year available).
	On the 1 April 2009 the former county of Cheshire and the six former districts within Cheshire were abolished and split across Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester unitary authorities. Cheshire East unitary authority comprises Congleton, Crewe and Nantwich and Macclesfield districts. Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority comprises Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston and Vale Royal districts.
	Figures on cancer incidence and mortality in the United Kingdom and constituent countries are published annually and are available here:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-21518
	
		
			 Table 1. Percentage of the population that died from lung cancer, England and selected areas, 1997-2010 (1, 2, 3, 4) 
			 Percentage 
			  England Merseyside Cheshire East Cheshire West and Chester Halton 
			 1997 0.06 0.09 0.05 0.06 0.08 
			 1998 0.06 0.08 0.06 0.06 0.08 
			 1999 0.06 0.08 0.05 0.06 0.07 
			 2000 0.06 0.09 0.05 0.06 0.05 
			 2001 0.05 0.09 0.05 0.06 0.08 
			 2002 0.05 0.08 0.05 0.06 0.06 
			 2003 0.05 0.09 0.05 0.05 0.08 
			 2004 0.05 0.08 0.05 0.05 0.07 
			 2005 0.05 0.08 0.06 0.05 0.07 
			 2006 0.05 0.08 0.04 0.06 0.07 
			 2007 0.05 0.08 0.05 0.06 0.06 
			 2008 0.05 0.08 0.05 0.06 0.08 
			 2009 0.05 0.08 0:05 0.06 0.08 
			 2010 0.05 0.08 0.05 0.05 0.08 
			 (1) Data extracted using original cause of death. Lung cancer is defined using the International classification of Diseases (ICD) Ninth revision codes 161.0-161.9 for the years 1997-2000 and the International classification of Diseases Tenth revision codes C33-C34 for the years 2001-2010. (2) Based on deaths registered in each calendar year. (3) Based on boundaries as of 2011. (4) Figures exclude deaths of non-residents.

Charities

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when regulations for introducing charitable incorporated organisations into England and Wales will be finalised.

Nick Hurd: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 8 March 2012, Official Report, column 868W.

Childbirth

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the number and the proportion of births where one or both parents were UK-born in (a) London and (b) each London borough in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number and the proportion of births where one or both parents were UK-born in (a) London and (b) each London borough in the most recent year for which figures are available (99463).
	Figures for live births where one or both parents are UK born have been compiled from birth registration data. The following table shows the number and proportion of live births in 2010 in the areas requested, according to registration data. Information on country of birth of parents is provided by the informant at registration.
	
		
			 Number and proportion of live births in London, where one or both parents are UK born, 2010 
			 Area Number of births where one or both parents are UK born Proportion of births where one or both parents are UK born 
			 London 70,924 53.3 
			    
			 Inner London 27,322 50.0 
			 Camden 1,558 50.9 
			 Hackney plus City of London 2,761 59.0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,520 54.8 
			 Haringey 2,038 45.7 
			 Islington 1,771 60.0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 909 40.9 
			 Lambeth 2,705 54.9 
			 Lewisham 2,795 56.1 
			 Newham 1,969 31.4 
			 Southwark 2,581 50.3 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,968 43.1 
			 Wandsworth 3,565 64.3 
			 Westminster 1,182 38.6 
			    
			 Outer London 43,602 55.5 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,776 47.6 
			 Barnet 3,067 55.4 
			 Bexley 2,319 77.5 
			 Brent 1,788 34.1 
			 Bromley 3,369 82.8 
		
	
	
		
			 Croydon 3,399 61.4 
			 Ealing 2,300 39.2 
			 Enfield 2,487 48.6 
			 Greenwich 2,559 54.7 
			 Harrow 1,429 40.8 
			 Havering 2,407 85.4 
			 Hillingdon 2,361 56.3 
			 Hounslow 1,963 44.3 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,632 70.6 
			 Merton 1,895 53.8 
			 Redbridge 2,300 51.5 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,305 77.0 
			 Sutton 1,987 74.3 
			 Waltham Forest 2,259 46.8

Citizenship

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many young people in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency have taken part in the National Citizen Service to date.

Nick Hurd: This information will be available shortly.

Civil Servants: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many special advisers are in post; and how many special advisers have been appointed as civil servants since May 2010.

Francis Maude: Since May 2010 the Government have published on a quarterly basis details of special advisers, who are temporary civil servants.
	The most recent information is available in the Library of the House and can also be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and if he will estimate the potential savings in each case.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office, jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, leads the Red Tape Challenge programme aimed at cutting existing regulation across all Departments. To date, the Government have agreed to scrap or improve well over half of the more than 1,200 regulations considered so far. Details of regulations being removed and being introduced are published by the Better Regulation Executive in BIS on a six monthly basis.

Employment: Young People

David Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people aged (a) 18 to 21 and (b) 22 to 24 years were (i) in employment and (ii) self-employed in England in the last year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, l have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people aged (a) 18 to 21 and (b) 22 to 24 are (i) in employment and (ii) self-employed in England in the last year for which figures are available (100063).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for England from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	According to the LFS, during the period October to December 2011, there were 1.29 million people aged 18 to 21 and 1.49 million people aged 22 to 24 in employment in England. In the same period, there were 57,000 people aged 18 to 21 and 102,000 people aged 22 to 24 self-employed in England.

Government Departments: ICT

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many iPads are owned by (a) his Department and (b) other Government departments.

Francis Maude: My Department includes the Government Digital Service (GDS) which is tasked with transforming digital services to make them better, simpler and more easily accessible for citizens, businesses and for Departments, while saving the taxpayer money.
	GDS's running cost is down a quarter on last year. The IT system used by the service was delivered at around a fifth of the cost originally proposed and includes 11 iPads used to support trials and various projects, particularly when it is cheaper than using a dedicated laptop.

Public Sector: Construction

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Government is taking to ensure that public sector construction projects deliver value for money.

Francis Maude: The Government Construction Strategy, sets out the programme to improve the value for money of construction projects.
	The Government Construction Strategy can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Government-Construction-Strategy.pdf
	A series of newsletters on its progress is published on the Cabinet Office website. The newsletters can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/construction-newsletters

Public Sector: Procurement

Iain Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will review the requirements of pre-qualification questionnaires for the purposes of enabling more small firms to secure public procurement contracts.

Francis Maude: I have already reviewed the requirements for pre-qualification questionnaires as part of my Department's work to increase the proportion of public procurement contracts awarded to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Statistics

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether the Office for National Statistics has issued any guidance to Government Departments relating to official statistics since May 2010;
	(2)  whether the National Statistician has issued any guidance to Government Departments relating to official statistics since May 2010; and if he will publish any such guidance.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Jil Matheson, dated 13 March 2012
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether (a) the Office for National Statistics has issued any guidance to government departments relating to official statistics since May 2010 and (b) the National Statistician has issued any guidance to government departments relating to official statistics since May 2010; and if he will publish any such guidance (100194 and 100195).
	The Office for National Statistics does not issue guidance to other government departments.
	National Statistician's guidance in support of the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice for Official Statistics is published from time to time. Guidance on the Presentation and Publication of Official Statistics; Quality, Methods and Harmonisation; Confidentiality of Official Statistics; the Use of Administrative or Management Information; and, Identifying Official Statistics were published between September 2009 and February 2010. The guidance on the Use of Administrative or Management Information was revised in December 2010. All guidance is available on the National Statistician's pages of the UK Statistics Authority's website:
	http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/

Trade Unions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) meetings and (b) other discussions (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) departmental officials have held with hon. Members on trade union facility time since May 2010.

Francis Maude: No meetings or discussions have taken place with hon. Members on the matter of trade union facility time since May 2010. The Government have announced their intention to commence a consultation shortly with the civil service trade unions on limiting the amount of paid time civil servants can spend on trade union duties and activities, and ending the practice of having civil servants engaged full-time in trade union representative roles.

Voluntary Organisations: Nottinghamshire

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will publish his communications with Nottinghamshire county council on their plans to cut funding to the voluntary sector.

Nick Hurd: holding answer 12 March 2012
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Andrew Stunell), on 12 March 2012, Official Report, column 52W.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Action for Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value was of contracts given by his Department to A4e in each year from 2007 to 2011.

Chris Grayling: The Department has awarded the following contracts to A4e.
	
		
			 Programme Contract Package Area Year Indicative Contract Value (£) 
			 Work Programme East Midlands, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire 2011 (1)— 
			 Work Programme London East 2011 (1)— 
			 Work Programme Merseyside.Halton, Cumbria, Lancashire 2011 (1)— 
			 Work Programme Thames Valley, Hampshire and IoW 2011 (1)— 
			 Work Programme South Yorkshire 2011 (1)— 
			 Mandatory Work Activity South East 2011 2,656,013 
			 Jobcentre Plus Support Contract Black Country 2009 6,083,500 
			 Jobcentre Plus Support Contract North and Mid Wales and South East Wales 2009 5,221,716 
			 Jobcentre Plus Support Contract South Yorkshire and Derbyshire 2009 3,078,090 
			 Jobcentre Plus Support Contract Hampshire and Isle of Wight and Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire 2009 8,393,606 
			 Jobcentre Plus Support Contract West Yorkshire 2009 8,693,203 
			 Jobcentre Plus Support Contract London 2009 35,000,000 
			 Flexible New Deal NE, Yorkshire and the Humber and Tees Valley  (2)— 
			 Flexible New Deal South Yorkshire and Derbyshire 2009 (2)— 
			 Flexible New Deal Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Rutland  (2)— 
		
	
	
		
			 Flexible New Deal Black Country 2009 (2)— 
			 Flexible New Deal Central London, Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth 2009 (2)— 
			 (1) Dependent on company performance. (2) Flexible New Deal contracts ended early on 1 September 2011. The total value of these contracts up to the point of termination was £157.5 million. 
		
	
	The contract values shown are indicative values for the contract package area at the time the contract was let.
	Details of contracts awarded to A4e during 2007 and 2008 is not held centrally. To provide the information requested would incur disproportionate costs.

Atos Healthcare

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the suitability of Atos to undertake work for his Department; and whether such an assessment involved an assessment of the governance and leadership of Atos.

Chris Grayling: The award of contracts within DWP is conducted in accordance with procurement best practice and, as part of the assessment as to whether to award a contract, the Department carries out a full evaluation of the capabilities of the supplier including governance and leadership. Specifically for Atos, in relation to the direct contracts we have with them, the Department carried out such evaluations prior to contract award.

Children: Day Care

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support he provides for jobseekers who require childcare to return to work.

Chris Grayling: In order for parents to enter sustained employment many will need to source and utilise formal childcare. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises the importance of child care as a key enabler to work and improved outcomes for children, particularly those from disadvantaged families.
	DWP has an important role in ensuring that a work focus is integrated into the planning and delivery of local childcare services and works locally with the Families Information Service who hold details of local child care and early year's provision.
	DWP personal advisers consider the personal circumstances of each individual in order to calculate whether the customer will be better off in work. These calculations take into account the number of hours to be worked, the number of children in the household and the costs of registered child care. Advice is then offered on appropriate help, including the child care element of tax credits, they would be eligible for on starting work.
	There are a number of options through the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) that can provide support to parents. The decision to award a payment from the FSF is the responsibility of and at the discretion of the personal adviser and could include:
	Help with associated expenses, including childcare costs (provided they are not on the Work programme or Work Choice), for parents participating in DWP approved activities and training opportunities;
	Payments to parents to cover up front child care costs when moving into work;
	Parents entering employment may be eligible for Childcare Assist, where child care expenses can be paid for up to five days in the seven days immediately before starting work. Written confirmation from the employer of the job start and that it would be for at least eight hours per week would be needed;
	If in receipt of a qualifying benefit and subject to certain eligibility conditions Childcare Subsidy can be paid directly to the child care provider to a maximum of £87.50 per week for one child and £150 per week for two or more children up to a maximum period of 52 weeks from when the parent first starts work.

Employment and Support Allowance

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ensure that no cancer patients lose their contributory employment and support allowance until planned changes to the way cancer patients are assessed for that benefit have been fully implemented.

Chris Grayling: From April 2012 onwards, claimants of contributory employment and support allowance (ESA) in the Work Related Activity Group will have their contributory benefit subjected to a time limit of 12 months. People in the Support Group will not have their benefit time-limited because they have the most severe health conditions or impairments and are the least likely to move into work. People receiving income-related ESA will not have their benefit time-limited.
	Entitlement to ESA is not based on a person's health condition or disability, but rather on the way their health condition or disability limits their functional capability. We are committed to ensuring that cancer patients receive their full entitlement. Our informal consultation on accounting for the effects of cancer treatment in the work capability assessment closes on 9 March 2012. We will publish a consultation response in due course which will outline our proposals.

Fraud

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in his Department were working on counter-fraud in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

Chris Grayling: The Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) is part of DWP and responsible for the investigation of all benefits administered by DWP. FIS pursue a criminal sanction in all cases where the evidence gathered meets the prosecutable standard. This may involve legal proceedings being taken against people who defraud the benefits system. Not all cases will be put before the courts as a prosecution. Less serious frauds will be dealt with by way of caution or administrative penalty where it is appropriate to do so.
	FIS employed the following number of full-time equivalent staff working on counter-fraud activities between March 2009 and January 2012.
	
		
			  Number of  full- time equivalent staff 
			 March 2009 2,778 
			 March 2010 2,760 
			 March 2011 3,195 
			 January 2012 2,876 
		
	
	Internal Investigations, part of DWP Internal Audit and Investigations, is responsible for investigating allegations of fraud and other serious wrongdoing by DWP staff and contractors (including providers). The whole number of full-time equivalent staff employed by Internal Investigations over the past four years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of full-time equivalent staff 
			 March 2009 71 
			 March 2010 69 
			 March 2011 58 
			 March 2012 49 
		
	
	Where allegations of potential fraud or irregularities arise, they continue to be investigated by professionally trained staff, who refer the matter to the police where they believe the matter is serious.

Homelessness

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effect of implementation of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 on the number of individuals and families classed as homeless in (a) Wirral and (b) England.

Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform Act 2012 introduces a wide range of reforms to make the benefits and tax credits system fairer and simpler by: creating the right incentives to get more people into work by ensuring work always pays; protecting the most vulnerable in our society; and delivering fairness to those claiming benefit and to the tax payer.
	Impact assessments for measures brought in by the Act are available on the Department's website.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants were flowed off JSA respectively within three, six, nine, 12, 18 and 24 months of being on JSA in each of the last 18 months.

Chris Grayling: Estimated off-flow rates from jobseeker's allowance are shown in the following table. It should be noted that it is misleading to make a direct comparison between current off-flow rates and those in 2010. This is because recent figures have been affected by changes in policy that mean unemployed people are now less likely to be excluded from the jobseeker's allowance statistics as a result of their participation in Government-funded employment and training programmes.
	It is not possible to quantify precisely what effect this has had on the rate at which individuals leave JSA. However, any assessment of current figures needs to take account of the fact that if the current practice of continuing to count individuals on Government programmes within the JSA statistics had been in place in 2010 and earlier the off-flow rates for those periods would have been lower than recorded at the time.
	
		
			 Proportion of inflow leaving JSA within certain periods 
			 Percentage 
			  3 months 6 months 9 months 12 months 18 months 24 months 
			 2010       
			 August 57 77 86 92 95 98 
			 September 57 78 87 92 95 98 
			 October 58 78 88 92 95 98 
			 November 59 78 88 92 95 98 
			 December 59 79 89 92 95 98 
			        
			 2011       
			 January 57 78 88 93 96 98 
			 February 54 78 88 93 96 98 
			 March 52 77 87 93 96 98 
			 April 52 76 87 92 96 98 
			 May 53 75 87 92 96 98 
			 June 54 74 87 92 96 98 
			 July 53 73 86 92 96 98 
			 August 53 73 85 91 96 98 
			 September 53 73 84 91 96 98 
			 October 56 73 83 90 96 98 
			 November 57 73 83 90 96 98 
			 December 58 73 83 89 96 98 
			        
			 2012       
			 January 56 74 82 88 95 98 
			 Note: These off-flow rates are derived from aggregate data on JSA inflows, caseloads by duration and off-flows by duration. The data are used to calculate the number of people each month reaching a certain duration in their JSA claim. These threshold flows are then compared back to the JSA inflow in an earlier month. The threshold flow as a proportion of the earlier inflow gives the survival rate. One minus the survival rate gives the off-flow rate. Source: www.nomisweb.co.uk All figures are three-month rolling averages.

Office for Nuclear Regulation: Lost Property

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings, briefings and discussions he has had with officials of the Office for Nuclear Regulation on the loss of a memory stick in India containing plans on Hartlepool nuclear power station; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: As Minister with responsibility for the Health and Safety Executive, including its agency the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), I have regular meetings with the ONR Chair and senior officials.
	I met with the ONR Chair and the Secretary to the ONR Board on 23 February and discussed the loss of an unencrypted memory stick by a member of ONR staff while in India. I was reassured that the memory stick did not contain any significantly sensitive information. An internal investigation was conducted and work is in hand to ensure that lessons are learnt.
	Guidance to ensure staff are able to understand and adhere to HSE security policies and practices is published on HSE's intranet.

Remploy

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the planned closure of Remploy factories.

Maria Miller: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions spoke with the First Minister of Wales on the morning of 7 March 2012 before the written ministerial statement on Employment Support was laid.
	I also spoke with Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning in the Welsh Government on the morning of 7 March 2012 before the written ministerial statement on Employment Support was laid.
	I spoke with Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning on 22 February 2012 about the Sayce Review.
	A meeting was offered with me on 19 January in Wales but this was cancelled by the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning.
	Additionally I wrote to the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning in November 2011 inviting him to contribute to the Inter Ministerial Group on Disability Employment.
	I wrote and spoke to the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning when the Sayce Review was launched last summer.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit claimants are having money deducted from their payments as a result of fraud.

Chris Grayling: Of the 58,000 claimants who have committed fraudulent activity, and are currently in receipt of benefit, 51,000 are having money deducted from their payments.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in his Department are working on counter-fraud.

Chris Grayling: The Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) is part of DWP and responsible for the investigation of all benefits administered by DWP. FIS pursue a criminal sanction in all cases where the evidence gathered meets the prosecutable standard. This may involve legal proceedings being taken against people who defraud the benefits system. Not all cases will be put before the courts as a prosecution. Less serious frauds will be dealt with by way of caution or administrative penalty where it is appropriate to do so. FIS employs 2,876 full-time equivalent staff working on counter-fraud as at January 2012.
	Internal Investigations, part of DWP Internal Audit and Investigations, is responsible for investigating allegations of fraud and other serious wrongdoing by DWP staff and contractors (including providers). The whole number of full-time equivalent staff currently employed by Internal Investigations is 49.

Universal Credit

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether under the universal credit system 16 to 20 year-olds who are estranged from their families will qualify for benefits without being subject to conditionality measures if they spend at least 12 hours a week attending education or training.

Chris Grayling: Regulations later this year will set out the circumstances in which young people who are necessarily living away from their parents can qualify for universal credit while in non-advanced education and the extent to which any work-related requirements will apply to them.

Work Capability Assessment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect that people being found fit to work following a work capability assessment has had on the level of unemployment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: No assessment has been made and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
	The Government do not believe that it is acceptable to write people off to a lifetime on benefits because they have a health condition or impairment. Many people with health conditions are able to sustain and progress in employment. Evidence points to the negative impacts of being without work and that appropriate work is generally good for people regardless of whether or not they are disabled or have a health condition.

Work Capability Assessment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people found fit to work following a work capability assessment are now working in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: These data are not routinely available.
	However, DWP has commissioned research into this as part of the wider ESA evaluation.

Work Capability: Cancer

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Government expects to introduce its proposals to improve the work capability assessment for cancer patients.

Chris Grayling: Our informal consultation on accounting for the effects of cancer treatment in the work capability assessment (WCA) closed on 9 March 2012.
	We are currently analysing these responses and until we have done so it would be inappropriate to make comment on any changes to the WCA.
	We will publish a consultation response in due course which will outline our proposals.

Work Experience: Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employers based in (a) Aberconwy constituency and (b)  Wales have taken part in the work experience programme since January 2011.

Chris Grayling: I am unable to provide the data requested as these figures have not been published. Any locally held information will not be sufficiently robust to meet National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.
	I can however confirm that the work experience programme has been taken up by hundreds of employers throughout Wales.